NEW ORLEANS (October 28,2023)– The Game Day Management team has partnered with the Mass Communication Program to broadcast university sporting events for the upcoming seasons on the HBCU League Pass Plus network on Dillard University’s channel.
The Game Day Management team is under the leadership of Athletic Director, Dr. Linda Bell and Assistant Athletic Director for communications/game operations, Matthew Bush.
“The addition of the mass communication department is practical in numerous ways. We are adding to the quality of all the events we stream in Dent Hall,” said Bush, “Adding multiple camera angles and broadcasters will make the Dillard Athletics stream one of the most unique in our conference and the country.”
Bernel Davis, a professor in the mass communication department has been a critical asset to the creation of the broadcasting team. “I recognized the interest our students had in sports media when I shared with them my work in the industry,” said Davis. “I was approached last year by several of my students to help improve the quality of the product being broadcast on the HBCU League Pass Plus network.”
On Aug 29. the broadcasting team produced the first game of the volleyball season where the Lady Bleu Devils took on the Southern Jaguars in the home opener. The students will be broadcasting the Xavier basketball games this evening at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. for the women’s and men’s games respectively.
Adding the broadcasting team to the Athletic Department creates more exposure for players and students who are members of the Athletic Department and Game Day Management Team. The addition of the broadcast team bolsters the production of the Athletic Department by adding commentators, commercials/PSAs and a variety of camera angles.
“Many larger institutions don’t offer those components in their regular live streams,” stated Bush regarding the added components, “It is also a way to draw more attention to Dillard and generate revenue due to the production quality that the mass communication team is producing. More than anything, it allows students to gain experience without going anywhere.”
Students who desire to learn about sports broadcasting and production are able to gain experience in all aspects of producing and broadcasting as a member of the team. Davis is the advisor of the team. He is a professional in residence, meaning he actively works in the field and teaches students the ins and outs of the industry as he knows it. The department is hoping to use this opportunity as a platform to create a Sports Broadcasting curriculum in the near future.
Glenn Rebert II is a returning student who became a freelance camera operator in his time away from Dillard. Rebert is a mass communication major and was interested in sports broadcasting and production when he first attended Dillard. He is looking forward to this opportunity for not only the department, but the students as well because this was a topic of discussion when he was enrolled in the university and to see it come to fruition shows that the university is taking a step in the right direction.
“This opportunity is effective for the department because it will help level the playing field and compete with PWIs as far as exposure,” shared Rebert. “Most PWIs have a full sports production team for their students,” said Rebert II.
Allowing students to work on these skills will provide better media content for the school. The department wants students to learn how to facilitate interviews, troubleshoot audio and video aspects, produce, direct, and manage a set.
“ We want our students to learn as much as possible to be able to work in the industry post-graduation. We want them to be above the standard and compete with students from other schools,” said Rebert, “ we are trying to make it an actual class and have a sports broadcast concentration in the department in the near future.”
The Bleu Crew, as they call themselves, has produced seven games to date and will be broadcasting the infamous rivalry basketball game against Xavier University of Louisiana on Oct. 28. All of the games are broadcast on HBCU League Pass Plus for free on channel 107.
If you are interested in joining the Gameday Management Team contact Matthew Bush ([email protected]) or if you are interested in joining the Bleu Crew, contact Bernel Davis ([email protected]) for more information about the upcoming games.