Greenlee students provide coverage for CyHawk matchup

Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff landed in Ames this past weekend as the Hawkeyes and Cyclones met in the annual CyHawk game. While 60,000 fans watched from Jack Trice Stadium as number 16 Iowa State defeated Iowa, students from the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication had an even closer view of the action.

Greenlee students Abby Altman, Braeden Jones, Nick Mensen, Matthew Nielsen and Victoria Prado, as well as recent grad Blake Petersen, were crewed on either the pre-show or game broadcast in various positions. Each worked alongside Fox Sports’ talent and staff to bring both to a national audience.

“It’s such a great opportunity getting to be a part of something so big and so unique that it makes the work feel so worthwhile,” said Altman, a junior in sports media and communication.

Mensen, a sophomore in sports media and communication, noted that “serving as a runner for visiting TV companies not only offers great learning opportunities, but essential networking opportunities for up-and-coming sports media professionals.”

Fox reached out to the Greenlee School, as well as the Iowa State Athletic Department, for assistance in identifying qualified students to work on the shows. All have had previous experiences working with national broadcasters on events at Iowa State and throughout Central Iowa.

“It’s not the most glamorous work”, said Nielsen, senior in sports media and communication. “But just getting to be around an operation as big and well-known as this is really cool.”

The Greenlee School’s broadcast footprint extended beyond Ames this weekend, as Assistant Teaching Professor James McNab served as lead replay operator for ESPN’s coverage of the West Virginia vs. Ohio University game in Athens, Ohio.