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Note: This story appeared in the Winter 2020 February edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Class is in Session
An invitation to the university president to watch a football game from the press box led to the development of an athletics communication major at Muskingum.
by Tom Caudill – Muskingum University, Assistant Athletic Director/Director of Athletics Communication and Marketing/Assistant Professor of Athletics Communication
On a hot September Saturday in the fall of 2015, the athletics communication major was born. The Muskingum University football team was hosting Waynesburg University for its season-opening game. As the temperature hovered near 90 degrees, I invited Muskingum President Dr. Anne C. Steele to watch the contest from the comfort of the McConagha Stadium press box. President Steele’s acceptance of this invitation would lead to one of the best unexpected outcomes of which I could have hoped.
In the press box environment, President Steele was able to observe the numerous Muskie students wearing Muskingum athletics communications shirts who were helping to manage the press box and game-day operations of the contest. She keenly took note of the responsibilities the students had and the leadership skills they were demonstrating and, at the end of the game, asked me to arrange a meeting with her to talk about a major in athletics communication. This was the initial step in adding athletics communication as Muskingum’s newest major.
Having worked in the athletics communication profession at Muskingum University since 2001, and having the privilege of working with and learning from some of the best sports information directors in the profession in the Ohio Athletic Conference, I knew the positive impact that athletics communicators could have at a university. The ability to strategically promote your student-athletes, coaches, and teams in the community, regionally, as well as nationally, is paramount. Additionally, it’s vital to continually build your brand awareness and connect with alumni and fans. I realized the countless skill sets utilized daily in athletics communication would be extremely beneficial for students to learn in the classroom to help prepare them for jobs in the sports industry.
One year prior to this pivotal football game, Muskingum University was in the process of exploring the feasibility of adding new potential majors to increase its already-strong academic offerings. I knew this was the time to spearhead a campus-wide effort to build the framework for a major in athletics communication. With help from Dr. Larry Normansell, Chair of the Social Science Division, I worked diligently throughout the academic year to establish the parameters of the major. Through much collaboration on campus and support from all the academic divisions, a major in athletics communication was designed. The concept of the program was to provide students with hands-on learning in our NCAA Division III athletics environment. Through engaging classroom study, student-faculty research, special guest speakers from a wide scope of athletic careers, and numerous practicum and internship opportunities, Muskingum graduates would be highly qualified candidates for jobs in collegiate athletics, professional sports organizations, amateur sports organizations, and numerous other jobs in the sports industry market.
Muskie students proudly represent their school at an NCAA volleyball event. (L-R): Taylor Brown, Camden Groves, Jacob Reed, Will Ford, Andrew Price
President Steele’s encounter at Muskingum’s football game proved to be the crucial moment that brought the athletics communication major to fruition. The meeting held afterward with President Steele was a success as she fully comprehended the value that a major in athletics communication could bring to the university. She whole-heartedly supported this program for its uniqueness to the region and its ability to attract students to the university who had an interest in a career in sports.
Over the next several months, I met with Dr. Normansell to finalize the classes that would comprise the athletics communication major. We determined that the major would be housed in the health sciences department under the sports umbrella along with athletic training and sport administration. I also developed several new classes to enhance the curriculum, which included classes in sports planning and promotion, athletics communication, athletics communication technology, and sports media.
The addition of the athletics communication program to Muskingum’s major offerings was unanimously approved at a Muskingum full faculty meeting in early 2016. Following the approval of the program, I was appointed assistant professor and director of the athletics communication major as well as continuing in my current role as athletics communication director for the Muskingum Athletic Department. This allowed me to teach young men and women about athletics communication in the classroom as well as mentor them outside the academic setting.
Over the past several years, Muskingum students have had the opportunity to be actively involved in the inner workings of the world of athletics. They have worked NCAA championship events, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament held in Columbus, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held in Cleveland, and the NCAA Division II National Championships Fall Festival held in Pittsburgh. Additionally, students have actively helped manage Ohio Athletic Conference championship events and traveled to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Grand Rapids Regional to direct our digital content of the nationally-ranked Muskingum volleyball team. Numerous organizations have provided optimal learning environments for Muskingum students, including the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Clippers, Cincinnati Reds, the Memorial Golf Tournament, the Western & Southern Open Tennis Tournament, the Ohio Machine, and the West Virginia Roughriders.
Now in its fourth year as a major on campus, athletics communication has continued to thrive and has created abundant experiential learning opportunities for our students. The popularity of the major also enabled us to launch a minor in athletics communication. I look forward to the future of the athletics communication major as we continue to evolve with the ever-dynamic sports landscape.
Muskingum students majoring in athletics communication and sport administration visited the headquarters of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, where they spent a day meeting with front office executives.
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