Hobart and William Smith Colleges

1 July 2026 • Alums • Athletics World Cup Dreams Being Realized By Zack Koons

From the broadcast booth to tournament operations, Tyler Terens '16 and Mia Tetrault '25 are helping to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to life.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, two Hobart and William Smith alumni have found themselves at the center of the world's largest sporting event.

For sports announcer Tyler Terens '16, the tournament fulfills a goal he has pursued for nearly a decade. For accreditation team member Mia Tetrault '25, it marks the next chapter in a career that has already included the Olympic Games. Though their roles couldn't be more different — one calling the action from the broadcast booth and the other working behind the scenes to keep the tournament running smoothly — both are shaping the experience of millions of soccer fans around the globe.

Eight years ago, Terens says he made himself a promise: when the FIFA World Cup returned to North America, he would be there.

This summer, that vision is a reality.

The former Hobart soccer standout joins Fox Sports' coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the network's play-by-play commentators to call seven matches alongside former U.S. Men's National Team defender Maurice Edu.

"Eight years ago, I promised myself I would be working the World Cup when it came to North America, and I'm so honored to have been selected to help cover the greatest sporting event on the planet," Terens says.

The assignment marks another milestone in a broadcasting career that has steadily risen through the ranks of American soccer. Terens currently serves as a play-by-play commentator for Major League Soccer on Apple TV, joined Fox Sports in 2025 for its CONCACAF Gold Cup coverage and contributes to SiriusXM FC programming.

His journey began at HWS, where he majored in psychology and minored in media and society while balancing four seasons with the Statesmen soccer team and calling basketball and hockey games for WHWS. Those years of developing his craft ultimately led to soccer's biggest stage.

While Terens helps tell the stories unfolding on the pitch, Tetrault plays a vital role behind the scenes, ensuring one of the largest sporting events in history operates seamlessly.

Less than a year after working with NBC Sports during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the former William Smith soccer and tennis student-athlete, who double majored in media and society and American studies, joined FIFA's operations team in Los Angeles as a venue accreditation client group management liaison.

"While working with the accreditation team for NBC Sports in Milan, I decided to apply for the FIFA position," Tetrault says. "HWS alumna Margo Grapshi '22 and Kevin McNamara from the NBC team were incredible mentors, and with my passion for soccer, I wanted to continue working in this collaborative environment."

Working closely with FIFA's central operations staff, Tetrault helps oversee credentialing by training volunteers, managing client groups and resolving accreditation issues throughout the competition. In Los Angeles alone, her team has processed credentials for more than 33,000 athletes, media members, staff and tournament stakeholders.

To date, one of her favorite memories came while attending part of the United States-Paraguay match.

"With 74,000 people in the stadium, it was incredible to experience the energy and excitement," she says. "Seeing everything come together after all the work our team put into processing credentials made it incredibly rewarding."

For both alumni, their World Cup experiences are rooted in opportunities first cultivated at HWS. Whether narrating unforgettable moments for millions of viewers or helping thousands of participants access the tournament behind the scenes, Terens and Tetrault demonstrate the many paths that can lead to the world's biggest stage.

At top: Tyler Terens '16 at the Colombia vs. Congo DR game in Guadalajara.