Bringing it Home

It's November 20, 2021 and there are 11 seconds left in the first half of the Utah vs. Oregon football game. Britain Covey receives the punt and quickly out maneuvers three defenders. He sprints to the east sideline and tiptoes the boundary with blockers clearing a perfect path to the endzone. The building starts to shake and everyone knows exactly what is happening… touchdown!

If you were there, it was a moment you'll never forget. But even if you were watching from home on TV, the meaning and raw emotion was the same. The process of taking these moments and turning them into live content involves specialized equipment and experts with years of experience. When Covey returned this punt in 2021, effectively delivering a dagger into the heart of a highly ranked Oregon team's entire season, the production oversight and story telling for all Utah Athletics sports took place externally, not at the U. But now things have changed.

When the University of Utah switched to the Big 12 in 2024, they found themselves with the responsibility to produce everything for ESPN+ that was not selected for linear network—as many as 120 broadcasts annually. This was a massive shift in the way things were done. Initially, the University partnered with a Mobile Production Company to bring in a dedicated production truck that was stationed outside of sporting events to fulfill the immediate needs. While the partnership was extremely successful, it was a temporary solution.

Seeing the necessity for adaptation and modernization of production capabilities, Utah Athletics created a new branch called "Utes Productions," dedicated to delivering content to viewers in Utah, the United States and every corner of the globe.

The program brought together a team of seasoned broadcast professionals, along with leadership from the Department of Communication, College of Humanities and Auxiliary Services, to create a new state-of-the-art production studio in the Language & Communication Building (LNCO) where live coverage for ESPN+ broadcasts and Utah Athletics stories will be created.

The core Utes Productions team is full of heavy hitters. Bill Riley, the "voice of the Utes," had a 32-year career in radio and television before joining Utah full time in 2024. Charmelle Green, who played softball for the U and is enshrined in the state of Utah's softball hall of fame, moved from Penn State to Utah to apply her years in athletics management to serve as the Chief Operating Officer for Utah Athletics, and she excitedly took the opportunity to lead the production initiative when it came about. On the control room side of things, the University looked to Aaron Jester, Assistant AD of Broadcast Operations, who had 15 years of experience on the technical side, along with Zach Blaine, Director of Broadcast Productions, who has a background in camera operation, directing and producing.  "We're very much aligned in what the possibilities are for this project," said Green.

Utah now has full control over broadcasts in-state rather than hundreds of miles away. A benefit of the ESPN platform is that ESPN+ broadcasts are archived for 30 days, so that those who might not have gotten a chance to watch the game live can experience after the fact. Utah has the opportunity to create unique shoulder programming, content created outside of the game itself which tells the stories of players and coaches off the field—Utah stories made in Utah.

When live broadcasts give way to ad-breaks, Utah has control over that too. It serves as an opportunity to highlight local businesses and university partners but also to tell the story of the U itself—highlighting research, school spirit and student stories.

The studio will not just benefit the viewers of broadcasts. It will bring opportunities for students to get in on the action and work in the studio itself. 

 “The studio, along with its seasoned staff and our industry-engaged faculty, bring a world class experience for our students,” said Avery Holton, chair of the Department of Communication. “Students within Communication and across campus will have the opportunity for hands-on courses where they’ll have industry-leading technology in their hands on a daily basis. That, combined with new internships that broadcast their efforts out to a national audience, primes students for immediate entry to highly sought after production, media technology, and immersive media jobs.”

Utes Productions is partnered with the department to create student internships and learning opportunities. Riley was a journalism major, and when he was a student he had to work hard to find opportunities outside of the classroom and the school at large. This new program stands as a drastic improvement to his experience. "The most important part of our business,” he said, “is the hands-on experience that you can get… within our walls, within our place. You don't have to go to Channel 5 or Channel 2 or Channel 13 or someplace like that to get hands-on experience—you can do it right here."

The initial phase of this partnership involves getting the studio up and running with control rooms, production rooms, podcast bays and other advanced spaces. The planned completion date here is August. But it is phase two that involves a mirror-learning studio where students can create their own broadcasts side-by-side with the professional ones produced by the Utes Productions team for ESPN+.

Enrollment in the Department of Communication has grown by nearly 100% since 2021, making it the 4th largest in the country among 261 Communication programs. The vast majority of students concentrate their work in journalism and strategic communication, both of which are increasingly shaped by digital production and storytelling. In a time of major growth, the studio will provide experience that directly translates to the modern world we live in.

When broadcasting live sports, things can go wrong. In order to assess and resolve these issues ahead of time, AI technologies have been put in place for predictive maintenance and dynamic bandwidth allocation. But, when it comes to scriptwriting, filming and editing, that will be in the hands of real people. "AI still has a lot to learn about how to artfully produce a broadcast," said Jester.

As part of the Big 12, 100 to 120 annual live sporting broadcasts from volleyball to lacrosse to gymnastics must meet ESPN+ standards annually. This project helps realize U President Randall's vision for an interconnected campus that acts more like a neighborhood with a centralized studio which connects communications students, athletes and the athletic department.

Now after every big play, the magic of the moment will not be diluted but enhanced by a team that is diehard about the Utes—on and off “the field.”