This summer, UTSA Athletics will be profiling its numerous areas to provide an inside look into how each unit serves Roadrunners’ student-athletes.
In this edition, we sat down with Elliott Greisen, Director of Sports Production, who manages all of UTSA’s broadcasting efforts on ESPN+.
Q: How does your department service UTSA student-athletes?
Elliott Greisen: “This department manages all of the broadcasts, which puts our games on ESPN+ and increases the visibility of UTSA student-athletes and the university. The emphasis in doing this is to tell the stories of the student-athletes in an effort to help connect the fans with the stories of the teams, individually and as a group.”
Q: What makes UTSA a leader in your area?
Elliott Greisen: “I think it will be our focus on storytelling. We have a desire to tell those stories and connect our student-athletes to our fanbase in a way that is not being done on a huge level across the country. I think that is going to set us apart as being different. We also have great technology that we are taking advantage of to be able to tell these stories with our brand-new broadcast studios.”
Q: Why did you choose to come to UTSA?
Elliott Greisen: “I chose to come to UTSA because it’s a chance to build something special. We have the opportunity to build something in our own mold, which is telling stories and being able to set a foundation that will continue to grow and be innovative in this space of broadcasting.”
Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?
Elliott Greisen: “The most rewarding aspect of my role is being able to see students and student-athletes succeed. It’s very rewarding to be able to tell the stories of the student-athletes and see people throughout the community connect with them.”
Q: How can UTSA students benefit from working with your department?
Elliott Greisen: “Students are going to have the opportunity to step in and learn different skills throughout broadcasting. They’ll be able to take those skills and go freelance or go work anywhere else in their careers. It will give them the skills that need to succeed in a live sports broadcasting environment. Students are going to be very critical. We want to implement them in all of the broadcasts from running cameras to replay to technical directing – we want them involved and engaged in our broadcasts and helping to tell those stories, and also finding story ideas on their own.”
Q: On a gameday, how many members will be part of your team and what are some of the roles that they will serve?
Elliott Greisen: “On gamedays, there will be roughly 15-20 people that are going to be involved in everything from running cameras, running replays, creating graphics, running the score bug, pushing the buttons that make everything go, people who are directing the show, audio engineering, and troubleshooting. It takes a fair amount of us to put on a broadcast.”
Q: What is something about your department that people may not know?
Elliott Greisen: “There are a lot more moving parts than people might expect. There is a lot more to coordinate and communicate than what someone might initially understand.”
Q: What advice do you have for students or student-athletes who may be interested in going into your profession?
Elliott Greisen: “Come get involved. We’ll get you doing things. It’s very experiential; the more you do, the better you are going to be. The easiest way to learn it is to do it.” (Students interested in working with UTSA Sports Production can email Elliott Greisen at Elliott.Greisen@utsa.edu).
Q: What type of educational background is required for your role?
Elliott Greisen: “There isn’t one particular path. People generally come from the background of a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in broadcasting. What you really want is someone who has a gotten a lot of experience in broadcasting.”