ÂÌñÉç athletics productions are âthe gold standardâ
Broadcasts in 12 sports increase Bearcats visibility across country

Jeremy Donovan understands the importance and value of live-streaming nearly 140 ÂÌñÉç athletics events in 12 sports each year.
âThis is about getting our name, brand and logo out there,â says Donovan, athletics video production/multimedia coordinator. âWeâre showing off what ÂÌñÉç is and has. The academic reputation of a university is vital, but athletics is the front porch of the university. Itâs the first impression.â
Donovan leads a team of mostly student workers that is responsible for showcasing Bearcats sports on the ESPN+ and America East TV streaming services to fans and viewers across the country. The production teamâs work has drawn praise for its professional quality.
Matt Bourque, America East senior associate commissioner of broadcast media and partnership, calls ÂÌñÉç âthe gold standard in the conference for ESPN+ productions.â
âOur goal is to have the viewer experience be no different whether watching an America East game on ESPN+ or a game from a Power 4 conference on ESPN in terms of the number and quality of camera angles, graphics, analysis and information,â he says. âThanks to Jeremy and his team, fans are able to experience more than 100 ÂÌñÉç athletics events annually across multiple sports, which is more than any other America East school. Producing at a level that meets ESPN standards allows the production to be streamed on ESPN platforms, which opens the audience to thousands of viewers per game and increases the reach of not just Bearcats sports teams, but also the University as a whole.â
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Athletics productions are generally based out of an equipment control room in either the Events Center or the Baseball Complex, where a director guides students on cameras, graphics, audio boards and replay machines.
Donovan, who arrived at ÂÌñÉç in January 2018 after serving as sports director at WICZ Fox 40 in ÂÌñÉç, directs 90% of the productions. Besides Donovan, the only other non-students on the team are engineer Eric Adler, production assistant Josh Williams and the on-air personalities for the televised events (which include Commencement ceremonies on YouTube). The remainder are a rotating crew of 70 or so paid students who are interested in the work, even though classes in TV broadcasting and production are not offered at ÂÌñÉç.
âMy ideal [applicant] expresses an interest in the world of broadcasting and says they love sports,â says Donovan, who hires 10â15 students each year from a variety of majors. âBut weâve taken people who are interested in broadcasting and know nothing about sports. Iâve had people who love sports and know nothing about broadcasting. Weâve had some who didnât know either and then we mold them.â
Students work when they are able and almost always start by learning how to use a TV camera.
âWe need good camera people,â Donovan says. âIf you donât have good camera people, you donât have anything good to broadcast.â
Some students opt to stay behind the camera, while others branch out and learn how to make graphics, run audio mixers and replay machines, and even direct broadcasts.
Lizzy Taddeo is a student who has worked her way up the ranks. The senior English major from Penfield, N.Y., expressed interest during her first-year orientation and has been a mainstay on the production team ever since.
âI worked my first game in August before my first semester,â she recalls. âI later decided I wanted to learn everything â and Iâm glad I did.â
Taddeo, along with graduate student Emma Colling, are production assistants who direct when there are overlapping games. The director communicates not only with team members in the control room, deciding what camera angle or graphic to use, but also talks to the on-air commentators about aspects of the game.
âIf I have a student directing, my goal is that a fan at home wouldnât know the difference between a game Iâm directing vs. a game that [a student] is directing,â Donovan says.
Taddeo, who directed the ESPN+ telecast of the Feb. 1 womenâs basketball home game against UAlbany, says she appreciates Donovanâs trust in allowing students to develop skills and eventually direct.
âHe goes out of his way to make sure we know how to lead,â she says. âItâs a unique experience for a paid position. Learning about leadership and teamwork, such as relying on other people in high-stress situations, are things that are going to be helpful anywhere in life.â
Past members of athletics production teams are making an impact in the field. Izabel Pasquale â19 worked as an ESPN digital video content associate before becoming a social media manager for the United States Golf Association, while Forrest Denker â24 is a TV news director in West Palm Beach, Fla., who also directs Florida Atlantic University sports events for ESPN+.
Lorin Miller â22, is a broadcast associate for CBS Sports who researches and produces in-game graphics for events such as college basketball, college football and the 2024 National Womenâs Soccer League (NWSL) playoffs and championship.
âI didnât join the ÂÌñÉç-ESPN crew until my senior year, but it turns out that was one of the best career decisions I made while in college,â Miller says. âI went in knowing next to nothing about TV production â other than I thought it was cool â and came out knowing how to set up and operate cameras, tech-direct a show and do video-shading. Jeremy was always patient with our student crew and encouraged us to fail so we could improve. Iâm grateful to have had that space to learn and grow at ÂÌñÉç.â
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When Donovan started at ÂÌñÉç, basketball was the Universityâs live-stream focus. While basketball remains the most-watched sport (and a priority of the growing ESPN+), the volume of Bearcats games and sports televised has expanded.
âWeâre now doing 12 sports â 10 of which are regularly on ESPN+ â with full crews of six to 12,â Donovan says. â[Former Athletics Director] Pat Elliott knew streaming was the future and that we needed to get the brand out. [AD] Gene Marshall is always advocating for us, making sure the equipment is there and we have what we need. He understands how important this is for the University, our student-athletes, their families and prospective student-athletes.â
But just because Bearcats productions are being hailed by the America East and fans doesnât mean that Donovan isnât looking to improve the live-streaming. Donovan meets twice a month via Zoom with production leaders from fellow America East schools to discuss telecasts. A fourth camera was added to the America East volleyball tournament on campus, earning positive feedback. He believes the Baseball Complex, with its new control-room equipment and top-notch facilities, will be a game-changer for live-streams of the sport. And heâs hoping to improve swimming and diving productions, while potentially adding sports such as track and field and cross country to the production mix.
âOur broadcasts can grow and get better,â Donovan says. âBut compared to other schools, weâre blessed with great equipment, facilities and resources.â