Skip to main content

Last night I watched my son’s alma mater (D3 Trinity (TX)) home opener on Youtube. Internet broadcasting has been around for about 10-years plus, however, last night was truly an advance in the total presentation.

I sat in my living room, watched the game on my TV with great sound (nice fire in the fireplace), HD picture and was blown away by the production.

They had multiple cameras, knowledgeable announcers, in screen graphics, player intro screens for both teams and instant replay. This is a D3 program, not D1.

My son graduated 10-years ago. At the time, I was happy with live stats, an occasional audio feed and a single camera with a student announcer. We were lucky because we had an alumni parent that was clearly ahead of the curve.

Trinity has embraced internet broadcasting for some time. However, last night was a major step up it what they can present. Lots of schools now have video of games, but last nights production in my mind made a real statement “our players, families and program are special.”

I have got to believe that these efforts have to help in recruiting both great students but great athletes. How much easier is it to convince a family whose son or daughter have to go across the country to a new city that the family can “participate” in their college experience through great internet broadcasts.

I remember a game during my son’s freshman season. There was a gentleman sitting in the top of the stands talking on his phone during the entire game. I later found out that gentleman was the late Bob Edwards. He was doing an audio broadcast at an away game in Austin. I remember him doing video broadcasts of all the baseball games (not just Trinity but all the teams) at the west regional at Linfield in 2010.

When I look back, I remember Bob and what a difference he is making today at colleges across the country.

 

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Trinity is the holy grail of D3 broadcasts as far as I can tell. Amherst has one camera shooting from above the left field foul line toward right field, grainy picture, solo play by play guy. There is a camera person but they really don't know baseball very well so they shoot and linger on the wrong stuff quite a bit of the time.

Swarthmore has 2/3 cameras, decent announcer, but the camera work is spotty.  Probably really hard to know what to shoot with only two cameras.  But I"m super glad the schools do this, at least. 

I still have a few games saved on my google drive from son's career at Clemson. These were probably his sophomore year. I think the games were at the Citadel and at College of Charleston ( not sure on that one) and these were both internet streamed, with students in the "booth". Not only was the video lacking in # of cameras etc, the commentary was pretty funny and you could tell they were learning their craft. Clemson did their own games until a few years ago (now on ACC Network) and they always did a great job with at least 4 cameras covering the games and local radio guys, guest hosts who played the game and/or who coached the game. 

The quality of broadcasts really varies from place to place. We watched son this weekend at tournament in California, but there was no audio so we listened to our home broadcast. Last weekend, we watched him in Florida on a broadcast that again had no sound and listened to the radio broadcast of a rundown at third as camera stayed focused on runner at first. All of that cost us $30 to be able to watch I think 6 games.

Last year I remember sending a private message on Twitter to the students broadcasting one of our home games, suggesting they turn off their microphones during breaks so we couldn't hear them yelling at each other about who was supposed to be doing what, and wasn't.

We looked at a college for my son that included a sports broadcasting major. It was a small D1, but their broadcasts seemed pretty professional.

I think the thing most of us forget is there are a lot of jobs in baseball that aren't on the field. If you look around at games, you'll have a great opportunity to check them out. 

 

ILVBB posted:
My son graduated 10-years ago. At the time, I was happy with live stats, an occasional audio feed and a single camera with a student announcer. We were lucky because we had an alumni parent that was clearly ahead of the curve.

It was more or less the same when my son was at Winston-Salem State University (D2).   The broadcast was from a laptop camera that was located in the press box behind home plate at BB&T Ball Park.  At times it was tough to watch.   Picture wasn't that great but it was better than nothing.  And that was only for home games.   For most of the away games all we had to rely on was the live stats and even then some times it wasn't active.   Wouldn't find out the results until the next day or when our son called or text.

The play-by-play was by an older gentleman.  He would provide his phone # and you could text him during the game and he would reply via the live broadcast.

They were working on upgrading to a camera and better digital equipment, but the baseball program was cancelled by the university a few years after our son left.

When he was at a junior college we didn't have anything.   No broadcast or live stats.   Would have to check the school's athletic website or the local paper (online).

nycdad posted:

Question. Was watching some D1 games this weekend, and there was a coaches challenge. IIRC this was one of the Miami/Florida games, but how does this work in small D1 conference games that don't have all the cameras a P5 school has.

In the Hawaii Wazzu series this weekend they just used what they could: 2-3 different camera angles on the play.  I know when there is no TV coverage at Hawaii games, there are no appeals.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×