After graduating in 1982 from Cincinnati's Anderson High School Thom attended Ohio University, where he was president of the Beta Kappa Chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He entered college uncertain of whether to follow in his father's footsteps and become a broadcaster. While at Ohio U he joined station WATH, developing his own love for radio. After graduating in 1986, Brennaman worked as a sports reporter/anchor for WLWT-TV, the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. During this same period, he worked as the television play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Reds along side Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. In the early 1990s he did Chicago Cubs broadcasts, sometimes with Hall of Fame broadcaster, Harry Caray. In 1994 he was hired by Fox Sports to call the network's National F