CCU Ropes in Matt Hogue to Lead New Sports Broadcasting Center
CONWAY, S.C. – Stepping Up Its Game
Coastal Carolina University (CCU) has chosen sports veteran Matt Hogue to lead its new sports broadcasting center, set to be housed in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. Known as the ‘Voice of the Chanticleers’, Hogue has a vast background in athletics and sports broadcasting, including roles as Director of Athletics and Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Sports Broadcasters
The specifics of when the center will officially open remain under discussion, but Hogue announced plans to formulate a timeline in the fall. Acting upon the increasing number of students showing interest in sports communications, Hogue noted this was an ideal time to push this initiative into the forefront, amplifying the potential to create a specialization out of it. “What we want it to be is something that’s really gonna focus on the rudiments of being a sportscaster,” quotes Hogue.
A Rising Retention Rate for Students
Academic retention rates have seen tremendous growth in the past year, according to Senior Associate Provost for Student Retention, Jim Solazzo. He mentioned a record 75.7% retention rate for first-time freshmen, which is projected to rise this year. Moreover, the communications degree track seems particularly appealing to students.
The Great Start
Gray Bray, a rising senior and sports communication major at CCU, conveyed his excitement about the new center. “You get to maybe come back and your name’s on the wall because you were the first broadcast to reach a million views or something like that, there’s so much opportunity here because we haven’t done it yet.” He commented.
Hands-on Learning
Hogue revealed one of the significant goals would be to provide students practical experience as early on as possible, incorporating internships, jobs, and networking within their academic journey. “This is a business that’s based on a technique, a skillset, a craft, there’s some art to it, it takes repetition,” stated Hogue. “We want to be able to give them an environment where that’s what they’re getting and they’re not just trying to read a book and translate it later.”
Working on a Blueprint
While many details are yet to be unraveled, an apparent direction set by Hogue is the creation of a central command center for broadcasts. The center will engage students in broadcasting activities already taking place in ESPN+.
Source: HERE News Network
