Will College Sports Voices Become Collateral Damage of NPR’s Funding Loss?

I am now and have been since my dad opened my ears to the like of commentary by Red Barber and Scott Simon, a fan of NPR, as well as supporter of several stations. It is my always listen, from “Marketplace” to “All Things Considered,” to “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” to “Fresh Air” and beyond. Interesting, amazing storytelling, hard working members of the media.

So I was again upset and disappointed with the news this week, and while I hope that there is a creative and proactive way ahead for NPR and all areas of public broadcasting, I also thought of another area of collateral damage that might actually effect not just those who are NPR loyalists, but those who enjoy watching and listening to their favorite voices in sports as well.

  Somewhere lost in the mix was the fact that many NPR stations exist on college campuses, big and small, and were, and remain, the training ground for so many of those who are icons of sport past, present and future. What schools are NPR affiliated and give students that first chance at testing the sports broadcasting waters? Fordham and Syracuse, Seton Hall and UAB,  USC and Colgate, Texas A and M and Georgia State,  The University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Georgia and Wabash College among the list big and small.

There are over 60 colleges that have strong NPR ties, and have launched the careers of everyone from Vin Scully and Bob Costas to Mike Breen to even Will Farell and the list goes on and on. Also let’s give a shoutout to our colleague Doug Doyle, who hosts the only sports-focused podcast in the country, “SportsJam” out of Newark’s WBGO. It’s not just alums, its an ongoing circle.  

I had the chance to speak with a few sports directors this week as many were conducting summer training programs for their undergraduate sports staffs, and all expressed the same concern. Uncertainty about what will happen with the next generation, who will properly train the people that lie ahead, and where, especially with the influx of cash and potential investment into college sports, will media fall into?

Now there have been dramatic changes in the landscape in recent years. College athletic departments are much more focused on media storytelling than relying on student journalism of the past, and the rise of social has given athletes, coaches and individuals the right to self story tell without the need of a third party platform.

Still, the ability to use quality facilities, to network and learn how to tell a narrative, to work with names big and small, and to be tied to a broadcasting/media fraternity that is vibrant and engaged, especially for those just starting out, is literally invaluable, and such a key part of the media experience that anyone involved in the field at a young age should be aware of.

Sure, it’s a fluid environment and things can adjust, but losing key dollars to develop talent through NPR? Short sighted and potentially damaging for the long term.

I know one thing. Without the time I put in at Fordham’s WFUV as a young person I would not be where I am today. And there are thousands who probably feel the same way.

College media is vital; it is where it all begins. Hoping it doesn’t now stop.

Let’s see.