TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida has partnered with Gemstone Media and ESPN to broadcast more than 150 sporting events a year.
A majority of the broadcasts for games like men’s and women’s basketball are available on ESPN+, which is the network's streaming channel. And USF is a leader among its conference rivals when it comes to this.
The broadcasts are held to the same high standard all ESPN products are held to.
In addition to the professionals, there are 30 active students in the program, which makes this a terrific learning opportunity for the next generation of broadcasters.
“I’ve been provided with so many opportunities, whether it’s front of camera, working on audio, sound, all facets associated with sportscasting, so I’m very appreciative of that,” said Aziz Turner, a USF Student.
“We are very lucky to be able to bring students in here. They come in and work with our pros, mentors, and learn from people that have been in the broadcasting industry for decades,” said Jonathan Dougherty, production manager.
USF has its own production center on campus right next to the Yuengling Center, allowing TV networks to simply show up and not worry about intricate setups ahead of a game.
The university is looking to expand the production center in the future, as the school's new on-campus football stadium is in the works.
