Jason MacBain
By Taylor Nigrelli
Assistant Sports Editor
At Bonaventure, sports are an integral part of campus life. Each home basketball game fills the Reilly Center with students, fans and media outlets. The responsibility of making sure everything runs smoothly for each one of these groups falls on the youngest sports information director in Division I athletics, Jason MacBain, ‘08.
MacBain oversees nearly everything involving St. Bonaventure athletics. He does it all— from handling press requests from campus and local media to working on ticket-sale promotions.
“I’m responsible for anything and everything related to St. Bonaventure athletics,” MacBain said. “Whether it’s communications, marketing, publications, broadcast or anything we (the Athletics Department) have our hands in, I’m responsible for (it).”
Much of MacBain’s work does is tied to GoBonnies.com, the school’s athletics website. Between the website and the Twitter accounts he created for each sports team, MacBain hopes to keep the fans of St. Bonaventure entertained and informed.
“The most important part of my job is to make sure every fan and supporter of St. Bonaventure athletics has the best possible experience,” MacBain said. “I can’t control the product on the court, but I can control their experience.”
MacBain graduated from Hamilton Central High School in Hamilton, N.Y. The Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication drew MacBain to Bonaventure. Although MacBain said he enjoys his position, he didn’t originally strive to work in the field of sports information.
“When I graduated with my degree, I had trouble finding a job in the newspaper industry,” MacBain said. “I decided to come back for graduate school here. I tried to get my Masters in business administration for one week but then decided to switch to integrated marketing communications. I got some awesome experience in those two years and I really have that program to thank for who I am today.”
After finishing graduate school, St. Bonaventure hired McBain as the assistant sports information director in August 2010. When the position of sports information director opened up in the spring of 2012, MacBain was hired. He credits his rapid ascent to the amount of hours he put in as the assistant director.
“People see all the effort I put in, and they appreciate that,” MacBain said. “It’s one thing to have all the talent in the world and be lazy because that won’t get you anywhere. I try to be the opposite of that.”
MacBain’s wide array of responsibilities result in a longer work day than average. On a normal day during the spring or fall, MacBain works 10 to 12 hours a day. However, during basketball season MacBain said he works 15 to 18 hours a day, six days a week. He said he doesn’t mind because he believes his work ethic helps him improve at his job.
“I don’t think I’m the most talented person at my job in the country, but I believe I’ll work harder than anyone else,” he said. “I might not know how to do everything right now, but you better believe I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen.”
MacBain said his favorite part of his job is being involved with the Bonaventure athletic experience.
“I enjoy being a part of it,” MacBain said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be a professional athlete, but I wanted to be involved in some way. Becoming a part of the fabric of St. Bonaventure athletics has been the most rewarding part of the job.”
