Students run gameday broadcasts

As JMU Athletics’ success has skyrocketed in recent years, so has student interest in sports broadcasting. The ESPN+ practicum, launched in 2025, gives students interested in sports, broadcasting and live television a chance to dip their toes into the sports broadcasting world while receiving course credit, supporting JMU Athletics and gaining industry experience.

The program gives students experience with the ups and downs of live production and broadcasting. “It’s a real-world education in teamwork, and how those various roles all work together to pull off those livestreams,” says Damon Dillman, practicum coordinator.

“The way we work is a learn-as-you-go kind of system,” echoes Jameson Glynn (‘26), a Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication major. “You get training, but the real learning happens in the moments of games that can change within a second. A lot goes into having your favorite teams on the big screen.”

Students cover everything from football and volleyball to field hockey, soccer and more. The most experienced students can move on to cover basketball games, which require a higher skill level for broadcasting.

Valentina D’Angelo’s (‘28) favorite part of the experience, as a Media Arts & Design (SMAD) major with a Digital Video and Cinema concentration, was the on-camera announcing and sideline production, along with the opportunity to shadow a technical director.

“ESPN+ has taught me that this is what I want to do as my career. Being able to control what the audience sees through managing a camera is mind blowing,” says D’Angelo.

The pacing of live broadcasting surprises many students. “It’s given me a lot of knowledge and experience in setting up and taking down the cameras, framing for gameplay, [and] working quickly to react to and cover the plays that happen,” says Sophie Smith (‘28), a SMAD and Statistics double major. “It’s fast paced and on the fly, which gives you a lot of amazing experience as to how a live broadcast works.”

Most students in the practicum already have a personal interest in sports, but working with ESPN+ helps them to break into the industry as professionals. Many students continue volunteering with ESPN+ after completing the practicum.

“Sports are just a vehicle for them to get their hands dirty,” Dillman says. “[Volunteering] gives them more experience, which in turn leads to more opportunities. That’s the value of this — the experience they can lean on when they leave JMU.”

“All you need to do is show up with a willingness to learn and a good attitude,” says Glynn. “It is never too late to get involved.”