Skye Tulio
Sports Assignment Editor
Have you ever logged in to Twitter to check the score of a Bonnies men’s basketball game only to find such a page does not exist? Rest assured Bona Nation, the problem has been solved and then some.
The latest creation out of the Sports Information Office, a St. Bonaventure Athletics social media hub, is one of the department’s best ideas yet. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
By bringing together all social media related to Bonaventure athletics in one central location on gobonnies.com, the hub serves as a common ground for Bonnies students, alumni and fans to follow their beloved Bonnies.
All 14 Division-I teams now possess both a Twitter and a Facebook presence, allowing the Bona Nation to connect in ways previously unbeknownst to them.
This latest enhancement in the university’s social media presence will only benefit the university as well as the surrounding community in the long run.
Last season, during the men and women’s basketball teams’ conquest to the Atlantic 10 and NCAA tournaments, it would have been great to have followed both teams’ journeys via social media. @Go_Bonnies, the athletic department’s Twitter account, did a fantastic job of keeping up with all the different teams, but it was definitely too much for one platform to handle.
Separating each team allows fans of all generations to keep updated with their favorite Bonnies team in a way which is convenient for them. Any information you could possibly want to know about Bonaventure athletics is now at your fingertips. It also individualizes the teams, giving each one its own identity while still universalizing it with the Bonaventure brand.
For example, each Twitter handle now begins with “Bonnies” followed by the sport name or an abbreviation depending on the length of the said sport’s name. This way, the teams can be easily accessed by recruits, current students, alumni and donors alike.
The Facebook pages are set up in a similar fashion. Each page title starts with “St. Bonaventure” followed by the sport name.
It’s shocking to think before now, only two of the university’s teams (men and women’s basketball) had social media platforms to showcase efforts and talents of the coaches and players on and off the courts. However, the lack of a Twitter or Facebook for the teams never really occurred to me primarily because the athletic department carried the enormous responsibility of promoting all 14 teams on its own social media platforms.
The hub also includes a button linking to the SBU Athletics YouTube channel, as well as the ever popular Bonnies All-Access, which was made available last season. The All-Access link provides live video coverage of all men’s and women’s basketball games free of charge to anyone who wishes to cheer on the Bonnies.
This will help to alleviate the confusion/mass hysteria which often occurred last season when Bonnies fans experienced difficulty finding exactly where they could view the teams in action when they are unable to make it to the Reilly Center.
Now more than ever, with the success and notoriety Bonaventure athletics achieved in the last year alone, the timing seems perfect. Establishing each team’s individual social media identity will serve as an asset to the community that follows them so diligently. This change not only keeps students and faculty in the loop, but also anyone interested in learning more about the Bonnies and the athletic department.
Kudos to Sports Information Director Jason MacBain and the entire department on a job well done.
tuliosa10@bonaventure.edu
