IU student media documents Hoosiers’ historic football run from Bloomington to Miami
With Indiana football winning their first ever College Football Playoff National Championship game Monday night, there is no better time than now to be a Hoosier fan. The 27-21 victory over the University of Miami cemented the Hoosiers as the first team in the modern era to finish 16-0.
While all the focus this season has been on Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and the Hoosier team, there is another group of students who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to capture every moment from this historic football season — IU student media.
Select members of IU student media have traveled to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; the Peach Bowl in Atlanta; and the National Championship in Miami. They have interviewed players and coaches at media days, broadcasted coverage from the games and from Bloomington, and captured photographs and interviews of every moment.
IU senior William Stewart was among those who were granted media credentials to cover the Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and the National Championship. Stewart is the video content creator for NBC Sports in Indiana and the executive director of the Hoosier Network.
Stewart said his experience covering these games has been some of the best weeks of his life, and “a fever dream.”
“Seeing all the emails come in that say College Football Playoff, actually being on site, seeing all the golden accessories, the golden football logo, seeing all these high level teams along with Indiana,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Stewart said some aspects of covering the bowls were different than his typical sports coverage, with increased availability during media week and increased access to coaches and players. However, when it comes time to cover the actual game, Stewart noted there wasn’t too much difference.
“Obviously, you’re exploring a new venue, it’s a huge game and everyone knows that,” he said. “But you’re still, at the end of the day, covering a football game.”
Stewart plans to pursue live sports broadcast production professionally and said that his coverage of these past few games will help him stand out in the job market.
“No matter what, I can go in there, get the job done, not get distracted, put out high quality content at a competitive rate, and I can put it out consistently,” Stewart said. “It’s just a matter of giving me the opportunity and letting me show you that I can work.”
IU senior Nick Rodecap also covered both bowls and the National Championship. Rodecap covers the IU football beat for the Hoosier Network and broadcasts football and men’s basketball for WIUX.
From talking with football players and coaches to meeting journalists from reputable publications like The New York Times and ESPN, Rodecap said his experience covering the games has been amazing.
“It’s an experience that usually you have to be in the professional field for a long time to have, but we get it as students,” he said. “It’s been awesome.”
Rodecap also appreciated the increased access to sources.
“It’s been great getting to talk to not only the backup [players], but also the assistant coaches and just getting increased access to them has allowed us to write more in-depth stories that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to during the season,” he said.
For younger reporters hoping to pursue a similar career in sports media, Rodecap advised them to simply show up.
“I think the number one thing is just being there, being present, covering as many things as you can for the beat that you’re on and doing your best work while you’re there,” Rodecap said. “I think that’s the most important thing.”