As the use of broadband video continues to grow exponentially and the cost of HD production equipment continues to fall, the same question is facing every collegiate athletic conference: “How do we take advantage of new video production and distribution technologies to enhance the brand of our schools and drive athletic department revenues?” The Sports Video Group, in association with Collegiate Images, ESPNU, CBS College Sports Television, the Horizon League, and the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), is tackling this question and more with the launch of a new website this summer, SVGU.org.

Time and time again at industry tradeshows, media professionals hear the same questions from conference commissioners, athletic directors, sports information directors, team video coordinators, professors and even students.  Common questions include, “What is the best way for my school to begin streaming video coverage of all athletic events and press conferences?  What are the current successful revenue models?  And how can our existing broadcast communications department serve as the backbone for the production while providing our students with a valuable real-world experience that will open doors to new careers?”

©Fresno State University Fresno State Senior, Steve Susstorf, takes a lead from second base during the pitch.  The Fresno State Bulldogs captured the 2008 NCAA Championship in June, beating the Georgia Bulldogs 6-1 to win the College World Series.  Fresno State became the lowest-seeded team in college sports history to win an NCAA Championship.

As common university questions and concerns continued to surface, SVG has identified the need for a centralized resource for the campus community, which has lead to the creation of SVGU.org.  SVGU will be designed to provide the university community with a portal to learn about these issues, provide an industry resource, and help provide solutions.  The website will feature a wealth of editorial content with daily updates on college-related news that will be geared to help campus and conference personnel stay on top of industry trends and enable best practices and solutions founded on industry standards.  Profiles of how conferences and universities approach new media opportunities, from both a production and revenue standpoint, will also be featured on SVGU.org.  Additionally, leading broadcasters, such as Fox Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, will create a series of educational videos for SVGU designed to help students and professors learn how to better produce compelling video productions that will keep alumni, students, and family coming back to university and conference websites.  Finally, college students interested in a career in sports broadcasting will be able to post resumes, network, and search for jobs.  Students will also be able to sign up for exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of events like the BCS Championship, the Daytona 500, the NBA Finals, and the Indianapolis 500.

Fostering the education of current students is absolutely essential.  The aforementioned national and regional broadcast networks face a coming challenge: Who will be the next-generation of production and engineering talent that will produce sporting events like the Olympics, the Super Bowl, March Madness, College Football, or the thousands of regional professional MLB, NBA, and NHL games?  There is a growing concern that, without a concerted effort to work more closely with school athletic departments, broadcast communications departments, and electrical engineering departments, the future of sports broadcasting, as we know it today, is in question.

As a precursor to SVGU.org, the Sports Video Group recently launched the SVGU College Sports Insider, a twice monthly newsletter focusing on the information needs of the college sports community.  Subscribers can receive the free newsletter by visiting www.sportsvideo.org.  In June 2009, SVG and broadcast networks will host the first-ever conference designed to focus solely on the video content, creation, and distribution needs of colleges and universities.  At the conference, experts in the field will share tips on how to properly produce a sporting event for web and television delivery.  University IT departments will have a chance to learn how to properly allocate IT resources to provide for high-quality streaming.  Most importantly, athletic administrators will be able to learn how to use this content to increase alumni donations and attract top-level athletes.

In the rapidly changing media landscape, where “new media” is no longer “new,” it is essential that both university and conference personnel at all levels recognize the importance of being knowledgeable and forward-thinking and be ready to capitalize on these opportunities and implement new technologies.  SVGU.org will serve as a fundamental resource for university students and personnel alike during this exciting time for the collegiate industry. « Return to top