KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 26, 2024
Growing up playing and watching sports on television, it was only natural that he would immerse himself in sports while living in Kentucky. But a move to Chicago and a missed hockey tryout window put his plans to continue playing on ice.
That is, until a friend approached him with a proposal.
“He said, ‘Hey, I heard you missed tryouts, I know you love hockey, and you’re in this radio class with me. I wanted to see if you were interested in broadcasting the games,’” Gaubert recalled.
In time, Gaubert and his partner would travel to every game home and away, calling plays and interviewing coaches to keep the school and community engaged in the hockey season. The work even led him to the press box for the state championship game alongside working professionals.
After another move to Alpharetta, Gaubert and his parents began searching for a college with opportunities to tap into his creativity and passion for sports broadcasting. That’s when his parents stumbled across the KSU Owl Network and pushed him to reach out. Eventually, Gaubert built up the courage to email the network’s director, Nolan Alexander, the summer before he began classes at Kennesaw State University.
“I started working with the broadcast side of the Owl Network in October 2021, and ever since, I’ve been plugging away at that,” said Gaubert, whose work landed him an internship with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. “Now, I’ve had the opportunity to do everything I can think of that has to do with sports broadcasting and reporting.”
The KSU Owl Network is a student-focused one-stop-shop for live Kennesaw State Owls athletics coverage. Available on ESPN+, KSUOwls.com, social media, digital radio and more, the network provides students of all majors the opportunity to produce live broadcasts, commercials, highlight reels, graphics, and to analyze games according to Alexander, who serves as KSU’s assistant athletics director of communications and broadcasting.
During the 2022-23 athletics season, the KSU Owl Network was responsible for broadcasting more than 100 live events on ESPN+, YouTube and the athletics website, as well as other events, like spring football games and weekly press conferences. The network accrued more than 460,000 viewers for KSU home games streamed on ESPN+ and surpassed 22,000 views for lacrosse, softball, and baseball games on KSUOwls.com.
The network provides invaluable experience in the innerworkings of broadcast control rooms at the KSU Convocation Center and Fifth Third Stadium, as well as video editing, live replay work, creative services and sideline reporting for virtually every men’s and women’s sport at the University.
“I preach repetition for our students,” said Alexander, who has seen participation increase to about 30 students. “It’s no different than what athletes do on the field - you have to practice to get better. Everything you do related to the network is focused on experience and improvement. No matter what it is, you’ve got to get one percent better each time.”
The overarching goal of the network is to ensure students enter the workforce with tangible experience. Students also receive guidance from full-time staff, many of whom are KSU Owl Network alumni. Moreover, it’s an opportunity for students to explore new things, Alexander added.
In addition to Alexander’s role broadcasting and leading the network team, Sanders Sullivan, director of video services, and Brandon Bedford, a video coordinator, produce or direct network events and guides students in live productions. Both work hands-on with students to prepare for game day coverage. Liam Kissinger, director of creative media, meanwhile, guides students in graphic design, videography and photography, as well as provides those services himself.
All professional staff also recruit interns and provide ongoing coaching.
“By having these experiences, they’re going to build up the skill set, resume and portfolio to surpass someone who enters the field with just a degree,” Alexander said. “And we have students who are going above and beyond to get even more experience than what we’re telling them to do.”
“When I first came to KSU, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved sports, especially the Atlanta Braves,” Harris said. “It was simply something I understood and was passionate about. I had a friend working with Owl Network, and his experience really spoke to me, so I took a leap of faith.”
Harris started by shadowing a camera operator for soccer broadcasts and soon moved to the control room, where she learned a variety of positions. Hungry for experience, Harris set her sights on the “scariest” role: replay.
“There are so many pieces you have to do at once, and it can be chaotic,” she said. “You’re tracking plays, you’re creating highlight packages, you’re directing camera angles and a bunch of other things. But replay is my thing. I love it, and my skills have come a long way.”
But she didn’t stop there. Harris has dipped her toe into sideline reporting in hopes of realizing her dream of becoming a Major League Baseball sideline reporter. She recently traveled to Charlotte to provide coverage of KSU’s final men’s basketball game against Queens University.
“I felt empowered to do that because the network is so supportive,” Harris said. “They always tell us it’s about gaining experience and doing what we want to do to prepare ourselves. One thing I’m never going to do is say no to an opportunity.”
After earning his degree, he leveraged his broadcast experience to land a job with the Atlantic Sun Conference. Now an athletics communications assistant and broadcaster at KSU helping to guide broadcast interns, Griffitt says the students who came after him have only strengthened the quality of the broadcasts.
“I cannot describe how well my experience with the network prepared me for a life in broadcasting,” he said. “It’s equally rewarding to see others share in that experience. Our interns are unbelievably passionate, and they’ve lapped me in the experience they’ve gained.”
That resonates with Gaubert, who now eyes a career as a sideline or play-by-play reporter for a major network or professional team.
“I would not have the opportunities if not for this internship with the KSU Owl Network,” he said. “It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, and I don’t think there’s many places in the country where you’re going to get the number of opportunities you do at Kennesaw State.”
This article also appears in the current issue of Summit Magazine.
– Story by Thomas Hartwell
Photos by Matt Young
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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
