SVG, NACDA Announce Winners of Seventh-Annual College Sports Media Awards

The Sports Video Group (SVG) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) unveiled the winners of the Seventh Annual College Sports Media Awards in a special ceremony tonight at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta.

Joel Klatt of Fox Sports served as emcee for the 2015 SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards.

Hosted by Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt and sponsored by Ross Video, the ceremony celebrated winners in five categories (Live Game Production; Live Studio/Remote-Hosted Programming; Program Series; Special Feature; and Promo, PSA, Tease, or Marketing Campaign) across four divisions (National Networks/Professional, Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks, Collegiate Athletics, and Collegiate Student).

WATCH: 2015 College Sports Media Awards Winners Channel

This year’s competition was the largest to date, with more than 400 entries submitted, an all-time high and approximately a 30% increase over last year’s field.

“The passion for and the familiarity to not only college football but college athletics runs deep in everyone here. You live it. It’s the fabric of each fan base,” said Klatt. “What’s so cool about this room is, we get to be the conduit, the connectivity for fans back to that time of their life. It’s a remarkable experience to be the connection for fans to their university.”

Longhorn Network led the way with four awards on the night, while ESPN notched its record ninth all-time CSMA trophy. Ball State University’s Ball State Sports Link reeled in its seventh pyramid, the most by any organization in the Collegiate Student division; St. Cloud State University’s Husky Productions was not far behind, winning twice on the evening for six awards all-time.

Longhorn Network led the way with four CSMA wins. Producer Tom McCollum accepted.

In addition, a field featuring many new entrants saw five organizations celebrate their first-ever CSMA honor (Pac-12 Networks, University of Arkansas’s Razorback Productions, St. John’s University’s Red Storm Productions, Liberty University, and the University of Georgia).

Throughout the night, one thing was certainly clear: college sports video is a team effort. Each and every CSMA recipient paid tribute not only to the teams they cover on a daily basis but to the team of producers, directors, engineers, on-air talent, and more that make these productions a reality.

The ceremony kicked off with a new category in this year’s CSMA lineup, honoring the best in Live Studio/Remote-Hosted Programming. In the College Student division, St. Cloud State University’s Husky Productions took home its first of two awards on the night with its production of Husky Mag. Longhorn Network began a strong night in the Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks division, winning for Texas Game Day Live. In Collegiate Athletics, Liberty University took home its first-ever CSMA trophy, for its production of Liberty University National Signing Day 2015. In the National Networks/Professional group, ESPN won for its wildly popular football pregame show College GameDay. It’s ESPN’s ninth CSMA all-time.

Zach Swartz (left) and Emily Barker accept University of Arkansas’ first CSMA.

“We’re very thankful for our team,” said Matthew Byrd, producer, Liberty University. “A lot of hours went into each production related to this, and we’re really blessed to have the facility that we’re able to take advantage of. We’re very thankful to have that opportunity.”

In the Promotion, PSA, Tease, or Marketing Campaign category, University of South Carolina’s Gamecock Productions continued its dominance, securing the award in the Collegiate Student division for the fourth straight year with its Softball Intro. Longhorn Network struck again in the Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks division with its All the Live Long Day Campaign. In the Collegiate Athletics division, St. John’s University’s SJU-TV nabbed its first CSMA trophy with its Men’s Basketball Intro, and Pac-12 Networks accepted its first award, for Brand Campaign.

St. John’s Ryan Gilbert accepted a CSMA for his work for SJU-TV.

Watching his entry play on the big screen at this year’s ceremony, St. John’s producer Ryan Gilbert said, “I have to say, this is awesome to see. It was awesome to see at [Madison Square] Garden, it was awesome to see at Carnesecca Arena, and it’s awesome to see here in front of my peers. It means a lot, and I’m very proud of this.”

The Program Series category saw South Carolina’s Gamecock Productions pull in its second award of the night in the Collegiate Student division for Gamecock Confidential: It’s Time. Gamecock Productions has won six CSMAs in the event’s seven-year history. Mind Over Media swooped in to win a CSMA for the second straight year with The Penn State Hockey Story, taking the award in the Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks division. In Collegiate Athletics, University of San Francisco also claimed a win for the second year in a row with its production of Hilltop Hoops. CBS Sports, meanwhile, took the National Networks/Profession division amid some stiff competition, with its series Men of March.

St. Cloud State’s Husky Productions took home Outstanding Live Game Production in the Collegiate Student division. (From left) Taylor Budge, Erin Goodin, Elizabeth Burda, and Katie Halter were on hand to celebrate.

Mind Over Media Senior Partner Mike Messner thanked the many people who played a role in telling The Penn State Hockey Story but especially the guys on the ice: “Head coach Guy Gadowsky, who is as good of a person as he is a coach; I’m grateful to be on this ride with you. Thank you to the remarkable student-athletes, coaches, and staff for letting us into your locker room. We never take that for granted.”

A lasting legacy endured another fierce competition, with Ball State Sports Link securing the Special Feature award in the Collegiate Student division for the fifth straight year. The award for Broken –The Andrew Stutz Story is Sports Link’s seventh award all-time. In the Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks, Longhorn Network won for its piece titled Her Voice – The Imani McGee-Stafford Story. University of Georgia snatched its first CSMA in the Collegiate Athletics division for its feature Malcolm Mitchell Book Club. In National Networks/Professional, Turner Sports and NCAA.com won for Gregg and Peggy Nibert: Fostering Lives. It was the first of two wins on the night for Turner Sports.

Turner Sports multimedia producer Lee Shelton accepted the CSMA for Outstanding Special Feature in the National Networks/Profession division.

“Our group is three producers with NCAA.com,” said Lee Shelton, multimedia producer, Turner Sports. “For this amazing story, we went out with a camera guy and an audio guy. I cut it myself. I want to thank [the Niberts] for letting us into their home, and I just want to say that, if the story’s good and you believe in it, things like this can happen.”

The show came to a dramatic conclusion with the Live Game Production division. St. Cloud State’s Husky Productions took home the award in the Collegiate Student division for its production of Men’s Ice Hockey – St. Cloud State vs. Nebraska-Omaha. It marks the fourth time that Husky Productions students have won a CSMA for a live game production. Longhorn Network notched its third award of the night in the Regional/Local/Conference Digital Networks division with its coverage of Baseball – Baylor vs. Texas. In the Collegiate Athletics division, the University of Arkansas’s Razorback Productions registered its first CSMA for its production of Baseball – LSU vs. Arkansas. The night wrapped up with CBS Sports and Turner Sports sharing the honors in the National Networks/Professional division for the second consecutive year with 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Duke vs. Wisconsin. CBS Sports now owns seven CSMA trophies, and Turner boasts three.

“What an honor it is to be up here tonight,” said Elizabeth Burda, producer, St. Cloud State’s Husky Productions. “Four of us were able to make it tonight all the way from Minnesota, but there are 20 students at home who were a huge part of all the productions this season, and this award wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for each and every one of them giving up their Friday and Saturday nights, so thank you.”

College Sports Media Awards winners and finalists are selected by a blue-ribbon panel of industry peers and celebrate the very best in college sports-video production. For more information on the SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards, visit www.svgcollege.com.

2015 SVG/NACA College Sports Media Awards
Complete List of Winners

OUTSTANDING LIVE GAME PRODUCTION

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
CBS Sports/Turner Sports | 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Duke vs. Wisconsin
REGIONAL/LOCAL/CONFERENCE DIGITAL NETWORKS
Longhorn Network | Baseball – Baylor vs. Texas
COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
University of Arkansas (Razorback Productions) | Baseball – LSU vs. Arkansas
COLLEGIATE STUDENT
St. Cloud State University (Husky Productions) | Men’s Ice Hockey – St. Cloud State vs. Nebraska-Omaha

OUTSTANDING LIVE STUDIO/REMOTE HOSTED PROGRAMMING

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
ESPN | College GameDay (Football)
REGIONAL/LOCAL/CONFERENCE DIGITAL NETWORKS
Longhorn Network | Texas Game Day Live
COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Liberty University | Liberty University National Signing Day 2015
COLLEGIATE STUDENT
St. Cloud State University (Husky Productions) | Husky Mag

OUTSTANDING PROGRAM SERIES

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
CBS Sports | Men of March
REGIONAL/LOCAL/ CONFERENCE DIGITAL NETWORKS
Mind Over Media | The Penn State Hockey Story
COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
University of San Francisco | Hilltop Hoops
COLLEGIATE STUDENT
University of South Carolina (Gamecock Productions) | Gamecock Confidential: It’s Time

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL FEATURE

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
Turner Sports/NCAA.com | Greg and Peggy Nibert: Fostering Lives
REGIONAL/LOCAL/CONFERENCE DIGITAL NETWORKS
Longhorn Network | Her Voice – The Imani McGee-Stafford Story
COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
University of Georgia | Malcom Mitchell Book Club
COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | Broken – The Andrew Stutz Story

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION, PSA, TEASE, OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
Pac-12 Networks | Brand Campaign
REGIONAL/LOCAL/CONFERENCE DIGITAL NETWORKS
Longhorn Network | All the Live Long Day Campaign
COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
St. John’s University (SJU-TV) | Men’s Basketball Intro
COLLEGIATE STUDENT
University of South Carolina (Gamecock Productions) | Softball Intro

For a complete list of all of the Finalists, CLICK HERE.

Karen Hogan contributed to this report.