When ESPN College GameDay visited for the Ducks-Hoosiers football game Oct. 11, University of Oregon staff and faculty teamed up on a touchdown for students: career exposure in the sports media industry.
The popular pregame show aired from Memorial Quad before Saturday’s game, bringing with it four on-air personalities and a sprawling support team behind the camera. During the show’s visit, more than 50 students from the School of Journalism and Communication, Warsaw Sports Business Center and Athletics got an inside look at careers in sports broadcast journalism and more.
“This is a tremendous example of the positive relationship between Athletics and the academic enterprise,” said Carlyn Schreck, assistant vice president for presidential initiatives. “From a planning standpoint, this was a team effort that provided opportunities for students to participate in career preparation.”
The show’s ratings were ESPN’s fourth-highest all-time for the regular season and highest-ever for an edition on the West Coast, both stats that pleased Jimmy Stanton, senior associate athletic director for communications.
Schreck and Stanton are key teammates in hosting the GameDay operation but, Stanton added, “many organizations are involved across the university. The collaboration to make sure everything is first class for ESPN to put on their best show has a great deal to do with them coming back.”
Student career preparation is a university priority and the UO’s strength in human performance and sport is exemplified by the working relationship between the administration, Athletics and the ESPN program. College GameDay broadcasts from college campuses ahead of big games and has been a frequent visitor to the UO in recent years, given the Ducks’ success on the gridiron and the university’s responsiveness to ESPN off it.
GameDay destinations change week to week based on results of the top-ranked teams. News of the program’s planned visit to the UO days ahead of Oregon-Indiana University prompted quick action from Schreck, Stanton, Lauren Anderson, director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center, Charlie Butler, an instructor in the journalism school, and others.
Schreck and Butler connected to set up a GameDay visit Friday for roughly 40 students in the journalism school. They toured the stage and engaged in a 30-minute Q&A with ESPN staff who manage equipment and other technical aspects of the show.
Sophie Fowler, a senior focusing on broadcast journalism and sports production, came away excited about career paths that could lead to a show like GameDay. She got validation she’s developing marketable skills and a tip to sharpen her command of switchers, which combine video and audio into a single output.
“I definitely left feeling eager,” Fowler said. “I called my mom after and was like, ‘This is so cool!’”
Anderson enlisted more than 20 students in the sports business program to support GameDay needs. Going behind the scenes at ESPN enabled students to see firsthand what they’re studying in the Lundquist College of Business, Anderson said: production, operations, VIP experience, sponsorships, contracts, branding and more.
“Their opportunity to volunteer at something like this gives students a step up in interviews,” Anderson said. “These types of experiences are what help them get a job.”
That was echoed by Les Rodriguez, a first-year master’s student pursuing an MBA with a specialization in sports business, which is coordinated through the Warsaw Business Center. He served as a production assistant during GameDay’s visit, helping with the needs of on-air talent, access to private areas and production meetings.
“Networking was the biggest takeaway for me,” he said. “Talking with anybody who would give a good dialogue back and forth about the ins and outs of their roles with GameDay was a great learning experience. Creating those relationships could potentially open doors.”
Sydney Hennessey, a second-year MBA student also focused in sports business, said helping to set up show segments — she proudly dressed a mannequin in Ducks gear for a piece on iconic uniforms — solidified her desire to work on the operations side of sports media.
“Knowing that I got to help produce something that millions of people love resonated with me so much,” Hennessey said. “I’m not someone who needs the recognition. Operations is something that I really want to be a part of.”
Athletics’ cheer, mascot and spirit teams kept the energy up for the massive GameDay audience, Stanton said. Meanwhile, skill-building opportunities played out for students in the department’s creative and marketing units.
One student on the creative team — Makenzie Steele, also a first-year MBA in sports business — sharpened social-media skills she’ll hope to use in a sports marketing career.
During the event, Steele posted content to the GoDucks Instagram account, including a clip of the Duck on horseback that garnered more than 500,000 views. Such gems can be gold for a brand because they draw in people who aren’t necessarily focused on the main attraction, i.e. a football game.
“GameDay helped show me how to tell the story of a big event,” Steele said. “Sometimes you can quickly create a piece of content that will resonate with different audiences. You look for the little things that can bring more people together, using sports.”
—Matt Cooper, University Communications