College Sports Communicators

The workplace of collegiate athletics is continuously evolving. Explore three trends shaping the profession today - from AI and personal branding to the rise of the modern creative - and learn how communicators and creatives can adapt, stand out and stay ahead.

Join us to hear from:

• Coreyon Chester - Texas Woman’s University, Director of Sports Information
• Kellen Hiser - University of Tennessee, Assistant Athletics Director of Digital & Creative Strategy
• Jordan Modjeski - Saint John’s University, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications 
• Mark Wasik (Moderator) - Kennesaw State University, Director of Basketball Communications  

CSC Voices: Why We Belong is provided by the CSC Inclusion Committee

Celebrating 10 Years of the CSC Inclusion Committee 

Bridget Nash hosts Hamilton Cook (Assistant Commissioner, East Coast Conference) and Chad Cooper (Director of Athletic Communications, Saint Joseph’s University) to mark 10 years of the CSC Inclusion Committee and discuss its past, present, and future. 

Cook shares how his experiences as a Black administrator led him into DEI work, including creating a DEI webpage at St. Peter’s and serving on the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee, and notes his first year as committee chair after serving as vice chair. Cooper describes how assumptions about identity overlook experiences with antisemitism and being closeted early in his career, emphasizing curiosity and relationship-building. 

They outline committee resources, the Inclusion Fellowship, and four Member Resource Communities (Autism Awareness and Acceptance, BCSC, Pride, Women), plus plans for yearlong programming culminating at CSC Unite. 

00:00 Welcome and Guests 

00:46 Hamilton Cook Story 

05:03 Chad Cooper Story 

08:49 Ten Years Reflection 

12:17 What Committee Does 

14:21 Year Theme Plan 

17:35 Member Resource Communities 

20:55 CSC Unite Programming 

25:33 Why Work Evolves 

29:48 Key Takeaways Learned 

33:43 Final Message and Wrap

For Symone Wright-Flowers, Director of Graphic Design and Creative Content at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the work is about more than creating content. It’s about preserving memories student-athletes can carry with them long after their playing days.

Hear Symone’s story in Episode 2 of the BCSC Podcast. Hosted by Sedric Granger of Wilmington College (OH).

College sports communicators work across a wide range of institutions, but share a common commitment to storytelling, service, and the student-athlete experience. Join representatives from different divisions of the college sports landscape for an inside look at the skills, experiences, and opportunities that shape the profession.

Join us to hear from:

• Erin Locascio - SUNY Cortland, Creative Content Coordinator
• Shelby Scott - Allan Hancock College, Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Director
• John Stark - Syracuse, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
• Sam Viebrock (Moderator) - Clayton State, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications 

In this episode of CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard, host Trip Durham converses with Division II athletic directors Kim Pate of the University of Indianapolis and Drew Howard of Florida Southern College about career growth, leadership, institutional branding and the value of athletics communicators. Both leaders reflect on their individual paths—Pate transitioning from student-athlete and coach to administration, and Howard navigating compliance and other administrative roles—before finding long-term fulfillment in Division II's balanced academic-athletic model. They detail how committee service on the NCAA Division II Management Council deepens institutional perspective and helps refine division-wide policies. Additionally, Pate and Howard emphasize the necessity of human-interest storytelling and intentional branding to stand out in competitive sports markets, urging athletic directors to empower sports information staff as vital strategic partners.

• Division II Alignment: Both athletic directors champion Division II's philosophy of balancing rigorous competition with student-athlete personal growth.
• Diverse Career Trajectories: Pate's career grew out of coaching and a non-traditional student-athlete experience, while Howard advanced through compliance and multiple administrative roles.
• Human-Centric Storytelling: Standing out in crowded media markets requires highlighting individual student-athlete stories over scoreboard results.
• Empowering Media Teams: Athletic directors must actively cultivate creative freedom and empower athletics communications staff as key brand stewards and strategic partners.
• Brand Guardianship and Culture: Communicators serve as primary culture bearers and brand caretakers, shaping public perception and institutional values before fans or recruits ever arrive on campus.
• Technical Expertise and Creative Autonomy: Because senior administrators often lack hands-on media skills, leadership must place trust in communicators to voice bold ideas, manage modern digital platforms, and execute without holding back.

CSC Voices: Why We Belong is provided by the CSC Inclusion Committee

10 years of the CSC Inclusion Committee

Host Bridget Nash talks with Jessica Poole, former CSC president (2022–23) and founding chair of the committee, and Scottie Rodgers, vice president of communications for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and former chair, about the 10th anniversary of CSC’s Inclusion Committee. 

They describe the “day zero” conversations that led to forming the first diversity and inclusion committee among NACDA affiliates, initially focused on Black representation, allyship, and candid problem-solving with a direct line to the board. 

Key milestones include the 2020 racial and social justice initiative, updates to the committee’s mission/value statements, recognition from the Knight Commission, and the launch of the Inclusion Fellowship (now completing six years and entering year seven), plus Member Resource Communities introduced last year. 

They emphasize lifelong learning, championing others, and creating spaces where members feel seen, heard, and valued.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:27 Meet Jessica Poole

01:47 Meet Scottie Rodgers

03:20 Day Zero Origins

08:35 Early Vision and Challenges

13:12 2020 Turning Point

17:19 Partnerships and Fellowship Launch

20:40 Leadership Lessons Learned

28:53 Leading Through Pushback

31:44 Inclusion Fellowship Deep Dive

37:50 Future Hopes and Closing

Hear Maurice Williams, Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs, discuss his career journey, his role & the evolution of his responsibilities at North Carolina Central in the inaugural episode of The BCSC Podcast.

About BCSC
Black College Sports Communicators (BCSC) creates a space targeting Black communicators and creatives at colleges & universities, conference offices and associations & organizations at all levels and communicators and creatives at historically Black colleges & universities, conference offices and associations & organizations to fellowship, further their professional goals and cultivate ways to raise the profile and standards of the athletics communications profession in and around college athletics.

Learn more at https://www.collegesportscommunicators.com/BCSC

CSC Voices, Beyond the Scoreboard host: Trip Durham, 2D Consulting, LLC

Guest: 
• Matt Panto – 2026-27 CSC President
Ivy League, Associate Executive Director, Strategic Communications & External Relations

College Sports Communicators 2026-27 President Matt Panto shares insights on his career journey, leadership philosophy, and strategic vision for the organization. After entering athletic administration through an internship at Lafayette College, Panto has built a 13-year tenure at the Ivy League conference office, where he serves as Associate Executive Director.

• Accidental Career Entry: Panto discovered his passion for sports administration during a college marketing project, turning an internship at Lafayette College into a long-term career.
• Instinctive Storytelling: He champions continuous evolution over static routines, advising media teams to let authentic moments and gut instincts dictate content creation.
• Unifying Creatives and Communicators: Panto stresses breaking down silos between content creators and traditional public relations staff, noting that both roles serve as key storytellers and brand stewards.
• CSC Leadership Vision: As CSC President, he promotes a "we get to do this" mindset, aiming to highlight member accomplishments while proactively addressing industry challenges like standardized athlete eligibility reporting.

Panto also emphasizes that industry challenges remain solvable through active collaboration, continuous learning, and maintaining perspective on the privilege of working in college athletics.

CSC Voices: Why We Belong is provided by the CSC Inclusion Committee

Autism Acceptance, Belonging and Thriving

Bridget Nash interviews Allison Hogue, assistant director of athletic communications at Alfred University, about belonging, autism awareness, and her path in college sports communications. Hogue shares being diagnosed with autism around age four, attending special education and a school for learning differences, and initially feeling uncomfortable disclosing her autism. In 2020, she connected with AJ O’Hagan, began openly sharing her journey, and became co-captain of Team Autism Awareness and Acceptance for the College Sports Communicators Fitness Challenge; the group later hosted an autism awareness panel at the Orlando convention and formed a committee that includes people with various learning differences and allies. Hogue discusses mentorship at Liberty University, her pride in covering Sacred Heart women’s basketball’s NCAA tournament run, advocating for accommodations, and supporting student-athlete mental health resources. She closes by encouraging listeners to be themselves, pursue goals despite disability, and not let others’ opinions define their journey.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions 

00:31 Allison’s Journey Across States 

01:10 Defining Belonging Through Autism 

03:16 Finding Community in CSC 

05:08 Creating Belonging for Athletes 

07:03 Mentors Who Shaped Her Career 

10:05 Writing Passion and WNBA Dreams 

10:58 Advocacy and Mental Health Support 

13:34 Accommodations and Workplace Success 

14:46 Career Highlight March Madness Ring 

16:39 Final Advice You Belong 

19:45 Closing Thanks and Next Episodes

CSC Voices: Why We Belong is provided by the CSC Inclusion Committee

Belonging, Representation, and Building Pride

Host Dawnisha Franklin interviews Pearllan Cipriano, sports information director at Bard College, about her path into athletic communications, her understanding of belonging, and her advocacy work. Pearl describes belonging professionally as trust and confidence from administrators and coaches, and personally as feeling supported and able to be her authentic self as an Asian, bisexual, international woman. She discusses challenges in a male-dominated field, being misjudged for looking young, and the added pressure of H-1B sponsorship requirements. Pearl shares that Bard’s support, LGBTQ+ colleagues, and chosen family helped her feel at home, and explains how research, CSC connections, and grants helped her navigate barriers. She highlights inclusive storytelling, heritage-month features, theme games, and campus collaborations, and co-founding CSC Pride in 2024 to create a safe space, education, and resources. Her message: don’t shrink yourself to belong.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:16 Pearl Career Journey

01:20 Defining Belonging

01:31 Identity and Barriers

03:42 Finding Belonging Moments

05:02 Navigating Sponsorship and Bias

06:47 Supporting Student Identity Groups

08:26 Mentors and Leadership Style

10:11 Launching CSC Pride

12:34 Campus Impact and Inclusion Wins

14:47 Proudest Moments in the Work

16:04 Events That Build Belonging

17:55 Resources to Add Next

18:41 Final Advice and Closing