Students reflect on ESPN+ production experience

ESPN+ giving students hands-on, real-life learning opportunities

This past fall, St. Bonaventure fans near and far were introduced to a new and improved viewing experience. Bonnies fans could now catch any sport from soccer, basketball, lacrosse, baseball and softball on ESPN+. Games could be streamed on iPhones, tablets, laptops and computers. However, fans were not the only ones reaping the benefits.
Under the direction of Rick Karnath and the St. Bonaventure University athletics communications office, students of JMC 341 and 342 were given real-life production experience on the networks of ESPN, the worldwide leaders in sports. The class gave students the chance to run camera, audio, switchboard and on-air talent for live ESPN broadcasts throughout the year.
Joe Ceraulo, a junior journalism major, was one of the faces of ESPN+ this year. Ceraulo had the unique opportunity of being the play-by-play announcer for the women’s basketball team and color commentator for the men’s basketball team.
“The experience has been priceless,” said Ceraulo. “Women’s basketball on ESPN+ was great, but then I was asked to do color commentary for men’s basketball. I knew I was in business.
“We had a ton of viewers, and overall the broadcasts have exceeded expectations,” he said.
While Ceraulo said on-air talent is his main focus, anyone involved with production on ESPN+ gains valuable experience that will look impressive to employers.
“Whether you’re in the control room, on camera, doing audio or on-air, it’s a great thing to have that a lot of people are impressed with,” said Ceraulo. “One thing I encourage the younger kids getting involved to do is try everything. The more versatile you are, the better.”
For the ESPN+ students this year, it has been a year-long process of adapting to change. Just recently, new graphics, features and replay were added to St. Bonaventure’s broadcast. What you see on ESPN+ broadcasts is the same exact thing you’d see on ESPN, ESPN2 and other ESPN channels.
“We had the meat and potatoes down,” said Ceraulo. “The broadcasts were fundamentally sound. But now we have replay and other features that make the broadcasters lives easier.”
In a field where versatility is important, Jeremy Castro, a sophomore JMC-342 student, has worked every position possible this semester. From audio to play-by-play, Castro has enjoyed it all.
Castro said he has always enjoyed the idea of sports production.
“I’ve always liked the idea of sports broadcasting,” sad Castro. “Just being a part of these productions has been enjoyable for me. I got to call a couple games, and until this year, I’ve never done that before. This class gave me the chance to.”
Although Castro said the entire ESPN+ experience has been exciting for him, he pinpointed his favorite memories from the year.
“Play-by-play and color are in a league of its own,” said Castro. “You have to do a lot of work beforehand, reach out to people and learn things you never thought you’d know. It’s tough, but I really enjoyed it.”
However, Castro said he enjoyed doing camera during basketball season. Castro said that he felt as if he was in the game.
“I enjoyed camera during basketball,” said Castro. “I was on the baseline camera under the basket a lot. I forget what game it was, but Courtney Stockard fell on me after he went up for a basket. He got up and sped away, but I remember feeling as if I was in the game.”
Castro said he takes pride in painting the pictures of the game.
“I love doing camera. I like trying to find the good shots and telling the story of the game. There have been a lot of little experiences I’ve enjoyed throughout the year that I wouldn’t have gotten if it weren’t for this class,” he said.
And while the experiences a student gains through participating in ESPN+ are special in the short term, Ceraulo and Castro both said it looks good on a resume and helping students out in the long run.
Ceraulo, who went to radio row during the Super Bowl the last two years, said that his experiences at ESPN+ have helped him lock up an internship at Sirius XM this summer.
“Surprisingly, it’s been the best thing on resume in the eyes of potential employers,” said Ceraulo. “I’ve had more people at interviews ask me about ESPN+ than my experiences at radio row. Employers are really into that live game-calling experience. It’s a great resume builder.”
Castro said, “In terms of professional sense, getting experience and accustomed to the equipment is important. Knowing how to use a soundboard can be important in the professional field. I think for someone that is looking for a professional development experiences, this class has definitely helped me learn the ropes about production.”