Winthrop added the digital sports production concentration option to mass communication degrees in the spring 2021 semester, and members of the mass communication department and the athletics department are excited about the new opportunities this will bring to students.
“I hope we can open their eyes to all of the possibilities that exist in athletics,” said assistant athletic director for communications Brett Redden. “Whether that is social media, promotions or different roles with the ESPN+ broadcasts.
“We are providing an opportunity to be engaging during athletic events or just in athletics in general. I think the ultimate goal is to make sure we give the students a chance to see some of the opportunities that exist in athletics, give them the experience, and hopefully they have fun in the process.”
Senior instructor of mass communication Mark Nortz said the sports production concentration offers a skill set that can also benefit students in areas outside of sports.
“Having this concentration allows the mass communication department to offer current and potential students one more career option,” Nortz said. “The skills that the students come away with are not only applicable to sports production but to other live events: concerts, conventions, parades, award shows, town hall meetings, etc.”
The mass communication department had already been working with the athletics department before the concentration was added, helping with streaming games and promoting teams and athletes.
Students were sent to help and got practicum credits for doing so, but, eventually, the department decided to make the relationship with athletics more formal and create courses devoted to sports production.
“With technology getting smaller, it is now much easier to produce events in the field instead of a studio,” Nortz said. “The livestreaming of sporting events is a great way for someone to learn what it takes to set up and work an event that can be watched on a computer or cell phone.”
“Teaming up with the mass communication department is a great partnership for both sides,” Redden said. “I think utilizing what opportunities there are for students to be involved in athletics where social media, promotions and broadcasting are involved can be key to the growth of the students.
“The willingness for the department to work with athletics and make us part of the curriculum is exciting. And as the partnership grows, we can continue working together on improving and giving the students the best experience possible.”
Classes that are currently available include: Intro to Sports Production, Live Production I and II, Social Media and Promotion, Digital Sports Producing, and Digital Sports Directing. Department chair and professor of mass communication Guy Reel is looking forward to the concentration’s future.
“I hope it’ll attract new students who might not have seen a program like this anywhere else,” Reel said. “When I researched it, I didn’t find any.
“Also, we’re working with the Big South Conference to try and have them implement similar programs to help their athletics departments, and we would provide the initial online materials to set up their own programs.”
