Ryan Donaldson, an ardent football fan, spent most Sundays in the basement of his Eldersburg home.

There, in an unfinished, dimly lit space used for storage, he would watch NFL games on seven mismatched older-model televisions, all tuned to different channels.

"I'd invite friends over, and we'd sit on an old couch," says Donaldson, 34, a Redskins fan whose wife, Jessica, favors the Ravens. "I wanted to see as many games as possible."

Donaldson still tunes in to a variety of games, but now he watches them on flat-screen TVs. Five of them. In a basement that has been transformed into a football lover's fantasy by the TV reality series "Man Caves."

The 1,200-square-foot space in the couple's four-bedroom home now includes artificial-turf flooring, seats from M&T Bank and RFK stadiums, and multiple high-definition televisions.

It all came about after Ryan Donaldson entered a nationwide contest for diehard football fans, sponsored by the NFL Network and the DIY Network, home of the "Man Caves" TV series.

In each episode, co-hosts Jason Cameron, a licensed contractor, and former Ravens linebacker Tony Siragusa create a space for one lucky guy.

"I submitted the tape and forgot about it," says Donaldson, who enlisted a friend to videotape his plea for a manly makeover. "But about two months later, a producer called and said I was in the top 10. I thought, 'Jeez, this could happen.' Later, I got a call saying I'd won."

"Man Caves" has built football command centers for fans nationwide, including celebrities like rapper Snoop Dogg and actor Rainn Wilson of "The Office." The show created a musical man cave for Baltimore's own "Ace of Cakes" Duff Goldman in 2009.

The show's designers and construction experts also gave the Donaldsons' once humdrum basement the celebrity treatment.

A wall of five flat-screen TVs, a custom-built bar with faux pigskin and six stools, a Kegerator for cold brews, a foosball table and burgundy pool table are just the beginning.

With the touch of a button, a platform with black-leather, theater-style seats swivels and a movable wall opens to reveal a projection area. Another sweet detail: It's equipped with an 86-inch projection screen.

There's a so-called Hall of Fame wall, complete with memorabilia from the Redskins and Ravens. Another wall has scenery that mirrors the end zone.

Not surprisingly, there's a comfy couch and a Blu-Ray player. The couple received personalized jerseys of their favorite teams, which are framed. Ryan also got an autographed NFL football from Redskins fullback Mike Sellers, which is displayed.

"Every part of this experience has been awesome," says Donaldson, who will be featured in the segment kicking field goals at Redskins Park with Sellers and placekicker Graham Gano. "I'm just overwhelmed that all this was done for me."

The project unfolded over several months, with a slew of "Man Cave" show experts descending on the Donaldsons' home. Beforehand, the producers asked the couple to do some prep work, like putting in drywall. A family friend, Chris Tiede of CT Contracting, volunteered his services, says Donaldson.

It all resulted in a cozy-meets-swanky hangout where the couple can entertain family and friends year round.

"We have had people over already," says Donaldson, who plans a gathering for this weekend's playoff games. "And we definitely plan to have a big Super Bowl party."

DIY 'Man Cave'

We asked Jason Cameron, licensed contractor and co-host of "Man Caves" on the DIY Network for a few tips. (And, by the way, he doesn't rule out creating a "woman cave" for female sports fans. "We get plenty of requests," Cameron says. "Stay tuned.")

Don't be afraid You don't have to be an expert with a hammer to create your own space. "We're all about empowering guys with amazing ideas and know-how, to create their own ultimate Man Caves," says Cameron. "Our series is filled with ideas and instructions, so you can actually do it yourself. And you can save money this way."

Pick a theme That's the first step. Who's the guy and what's his thing? "Some guys are fishermen, wine drinkers, or maybe they have trophies their wife won't let them display," Cameron says. "Zoom in on that as a central focus, and build around it. From there, you can pick flooring and paint colors. As long as it's not neon or pink, you're usually good."

Plan around the necessities "I think these things are staples: a bar, a Kegerator [mini fridge], a big-screen TV and a comfortable chair," Cameron says. "You can build your own bar in a day using two-by-fours, plywood and other materials from the home improvement store. We covered the Donaldson's bar with synthetic pigskin, which can be found online."

Use available space A man cave doesn't necessarily require a lot of space. "It's rare to have a lot of space," Cameron says. "Some guys are relegated to a 10-by-10 room. Don't be discouraged. You can still make it look good."

Watch it

"Man Caves," hosted by Jason Cameron, licensed contractor, and Tony Siragusa airs Friday at 8 p.m. on the DIY Network. An encore presentation of Ryan Donaldson's NFL makeover airs at 9 p.m. Feb. 4.