SPFV 161 Sports Broadcasting Course Introduction and Syllabus Guide

Professor Introduction and Professional Background

Professor Sam Hoban serves as the instructor for this course. He is currently looking to learn the names of all 2525 students within the first two weeks of the semester.

Professor Hoban previously served as the Director of Athletics Communications at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. His professional experience in athletic communications spans over a decade and includes:

  • Coverage of Division I athletics.

  • Broadcasting for the NJCAA National Championship game between Arizona Western College and Garden City Community College. Audio from this broadcast was featured in the Netflix series Last Chance U (specifically the second season focusing on East Mississippi).

  • Calling multiple national tournament games for Longwood University in both basketball and softball.

  • Extensive work in radio, television broadcasting, and studio hosting.

His educational background includes:

  • A Master’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University.

  • A Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a minor in Physics.

Syracuse University is known for its prestigious alumni in the broadcasting field, including:

  • I and Eagle: A lead voice for CBS (Final Four and NFL) and the New York Knicks and Nets.

  • Mike Dureko.

  • Dave Pash.

  • Jason Bonetti: Known as the voice of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC.

Course Overview and Philosophy

This course, SPFV 161161: Sports Broadcasting, focuses on a holistic perspective of the industry, including responsibilities, live sports coverage, anchoring, reporting, and content creation.

Learning in this course is based on a supportive classroom environment. Students are expected to participate in the review of each other's work. This process is intended to be constructive and reflective rather than purely critical. The review of live professional sporting events, such as those on ESPN, as well as smaller college-level productions, will be used to understand varying levels of resource availability and production scales.

The pedagogical method follows a "boot camp" style: technical concepts are explained briefly in class, followed immediately by practical application. This is modeled after the Syracuse University curriculum where students were required to write news stories immediately after learning the structure. This approach emphasizes that hands-on experience and making mistakes are essential components of the learning process.

Technical Resources and Equipment Requirements

Students are required to obtain certain technical tools to participate in video projects throughout the semester:

  • SD Card: Students must have an SD card with a minimum capacity of 64 GB64\,GB. The cameras used in the media room utilize standard, full-sized SD cards, not micro SD cards (though micro SD cards with adapters may be used).

  • SD Card Reader: Recommended for transferring footage to computers. These are typically priced between $10\$10 and $15\$15.

  • Editing Bays: Located on the first floor of the building, these bays are equipped with Adobe Premiere software. Card access will be granted to students, and bays can be reserved via a Google Calendar system. Potential room numbers for these bays include 125125 and 127127.

Software and Industry Tools

Industry-standard software knowledge is critical for marketability. The course will introduce several tools within the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, for which a student discount of roughly $20\$20 per month is available (though a yearly commitment of $240\$240 is required):

  • Photoshop: Used for static graphics and social media content.

  • Adobe Premiere: The standard platform for high-level video editing.

  • InDesign: Used for print-focused materials like game programs.

  • Adobe Illustrator: A primary tool for graphic designers.

  • Lightroom: Used for photo archiving and batch processing.

Free or mobile-friendly alternatives that will be explored include:

  • CapCut (mobile video editing)

  • Adobe Express

  • Canva

The Lynchburg Hornet Sports Network (LHSN) Partnership

Students will have the opportunity to work directly with the LHSN, the athletic department’s broadcasting and social media wing. This provides hands-on experience in various roles including camera operation, graphics, and replay.

Professionalism and communication are paramount when working with LHSN:

  • Attendance Policy: If a student signs up to work a game, attendance is mandatory.

  • Notice Requirement: A minimum of 2424 hours notice must be given if a student cannot attend a scheduled game (e.g., due to a practice schedule change).

  • Point Deductions: A "no-call, no-show" for an LHSN event results in a 3030-point deduction from the final grade. The total course value is 200200 points, meaning a single absence can result in losing more than a full letter grade.

  • Contacts: Coordination is handled by Joe Brennan and Professor Hoban.

Major Course Projects

Two primary sports-focused projects will be completed this semester:

Sport 101101 Project Students must select a sport they are currently unfamiliar with (e.g., a baseball player may not choose baseball). The goal is to learn how to research a sport from scratch. Students will present a five-minute overview to the class covering:

  • Basic rules and regulations.

  • Strategies and tactical considerations.

  • Essential technical vocabulary and terms.

Storyboard Project This project requires students to prepare for a live sporting event as a producer would. It involves:

  • Conducting production meetings with coaches or assistant coaches to gain insights into the team.

  • Developing a storyboard that includes player narratives, team history, and statistical context (e.g., performance in previous seasons).

  • Identifying "storytelling" elements that make the game significant to the audience.

Professional Marketability and Industry Scale

In the broadcasting industry, being a "generalist" who can handle multiple roles is often more valuable than being a pure specialist. While many students desire to be "talent" (on-camera personnel), the ratio of behind-the-scenes staff to talent is massive.

  • A major production like the Fox Noon Kickoff college football show has a crew of approximately 150150 people.

  • Out of that 150150-person crew, only 44 to 55 people are on-camera talent.

  • The show operates on a multi-million dollar weekly budget.

  • At the mid-major level (e.g., ESPNU at Longwood), a crew might consist of 2020 people to support 22 talent members (such as Matt Schick and Paul Biancarni).

Having skills in writing, graphic design, game notes, and camera operation makes an individual significantly more marketable for full-time roles.

Artificial Intelligence Work Policy

The use of AI (such as ChatGPT or Gemini) is permitted as a brainstorming or outlining tool, but all usage must be explicitly documented. Students must turn in rough drafts and outlines showing what the AI produced versus what the student refined.

AI should not be used for critical thinking or for creating graphics, as current AI tools often produce errors in brand control, such as incorrect logos, fonts, and colors. The goal is for students to learn the underlying skills so they can identify errors or "holes" in AI-generated content.

Communication and Office Hours

Effective communication is a core professional skill. Students are encouraged to use office hours to discuss career goals or request work reviews from professional connections.

  • Office Hours: Held primarily on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday are heavy teaching days.

  • Email Etiquette: Professional, succinct emails are preferred. High-level professionalism (correct grammar and punctuation) is expected, though "flowery" language is unnecessary.

  • Deadlines: In the professional world, deadlines are absolute (e.g., a news segment either airs or it doesn't). Late work policies on Moodle will reflect this high standard.

Questions & Discussion

Question: When do we need to get the SD card or the SD card reader by? Response: The goal is for students to have these within the next week to week and a half. While the first major video project isn't due until October, having the card early allows for experimentation and trial runs to ensure the footage quality is sufficient.

Question: What are the professor's favorite sports and teams? Response: His favorite sport is basketball, having grown up in Indiana. His college fandom is directed toward Kentucky, influenced by his father and grandfather. Professionally, he admires the Golden State Warriors for their egalitarian, ball-movement style of play, which he contrasts with the individualistic style of players like James Harden. He also grew up a fan of Peyton Manning.

Classroom Demographics and Athletics

Approximately 85%85\% to 90%90\% of the students in the class are student-athletes. This necessitates proactive communication regarding practice shifts and travel schedules. The class includes athletes from various sports, including:

  • Swimming: Mark Fleweling

  • Beach Volleyball: Morgan Mickle

  • Golf/Softball/Baseball: Olivia Radford

  • Baseball: Cole Skarbinski

  • Lacrosse/Wrestling: John Grancher and River Hole

  • Football: Isaiah Davis and Tyler Ruiz

  • Ice Hockey: Spencer Tim (who goes by Nico)

  • Tennis: Crystal Hardy (favorite player: Venus Williams)

  • Basketball: Tucker Roop

  • Cross Country: Mention of an upcoming meet on September 1212.