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Jacob Tobey, the San Antonio Spurs TV play-by-play announcer, kicks off the introductory news conference for four new Spurs rookies at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Thursday, June 25, 2026. Tobey stepped down from his role this week, following a viral social media post accusing him of cheating on his girlfriend with a player\u2019s sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
More than a month after their improbable\u00a0NBA Finals run fell short,<\/a> the Spurs captured national attention once again this week after one of its play-by-play announcers found himself immersed in controversy.<\/p>\n Spurs broadcaster Jacob\u00a0Tobey is no longer with the organization, following reports that he cheated on his girlfriend with a player\u2019s sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Tobey, who was brought on to do courtside commentary for the organization in 2024, was accused by his girlfriend of cheating in a social media post to his Instagram account that went viral.\u00a0<\/p>\n His departure was first reported by Front Office Sports<\/a>. Spurs Sports and Entertainment did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday, nor did a representative for Tobey. But a source familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed Friday that\u00a0Tobey stepped down from his role.<\/p>\n Who is Jacob Tobey?<\/p>\n In October 2024,<\/a> the Spurs hired Tobey as a play-by-play announcer after Bill Land, who called Spurs games for 21 years, retired.<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Tobey is from Sandwich, Ma., and attended Suffolk University, a private school in Boston, beginning in 2018. He interned for the Boston Celtics and New England Patriots, according to a Spurs news release.<\/p>\n Following college, Tobey worked in broadcast journalism for a pair of local NBC affiliates in Tulsa, Ok., then Denver, Co., covering sports in both metro areas. His biography says he also did play-by-play commentary for Fox Sports and Pac-12 Network.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: How Spurs TV voice Jacob Tobey came to embrace his Native American heritage<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n His alma mater called Tobey, then 27, one of the league\u2019s youngest announcers in a 2025 alumni feature.<\/a> Longtime Boston Celtics commentator Mike Gorman inspired him to become a play-by-play announcer, according to the feature article.<\/p>\n Tobey joined former Spurs forward Sean Elliott,<\/a> who was part of the 1999 team that brought the sports club its first championship and has called Spurs games for more than two decades since retiring.<\/p>\n The duo called games together for two seasons, the first of which saw the Spurs finish 34-48, missing the playoffs. The second saw the team reach the\u00a0NBA Finals after finishing the regular season 62-20.<\/p>\n Tobey was jubilant when the Spurs reached the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, yelling, \u201cIt\u2019s a fiesta once again. The Spurs, for the first time since 2019, are back in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Features for the Spurs<\/p>\n Though he was new to the market,\u00a0Tobey was quickly embraced by the organization and its fans.<\/p>\n In April, the Spurs celebrated Native American Heritage Night <\/a>before their game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tobey, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, performed the national anthem ahead of the game<\/a>. He told the San Antonio Express-News that even though he had been performing in front of audiences since he was 15, he had never performed before a crowd that big.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe next John Mayer, ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Tobey joins me on the other side right after the break,\u201d Elliott said on the broadcast after his colleague\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The crowd responded with an ovation.<\/p>\n RELATED: Spurs TV voice Jacob Tobey opens up about ‘remarkable’ national anthem experience<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI just felt the love from the crowd and the city,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople sent me so many nice messages on Instagram or on social media and I\u2019m trying to get back to everybody. But it was cool. \u2026 I\u2019m super glad I did it and, hopefully, I can do it again at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n He gave an encore performance of the national anthem before Game 5 of the Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Tobey got his musical start early. He told the Express-News he’s been singing and playing music since he was 5 years He started by taking piano lessons, eventually moving to drums and playing in all manner of bands: jazz, rock and concert. He also took up the guitar, which he played while singing the national anthem.\u00a0<\/p>\n Local and national reactions<\/p>\n Although its unclear if Tobey was fired or stepped down on his own accord, as a source told the Express-News, the since-deleted post and its aftermath sparked intense reaction among local and national sports media personalities.<\/p>\n Believing he had been terminated, Fox Sports talk show host Colin Cowherd suggested\u00a0Tobey take legal action<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI learned something new today\u2026that you can get fired in America for cheating on your girlfriend,\u201d Cowherd said. \u201cI had no idea that was legal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n