Catawba students get a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Big South and ACC media days
Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 6, 2018
Catawba College
Catawba College sport management students traveled to Charlotte on Oct. 23-24 for the Big South Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference basketball media days.
The Big South media day was at the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel and included the annual tipoff luncheon and announcement of the preseason poll and all-conference teams. Interview sessions were also held for local, regional, and national media outlets including the Big South Network and ESPN.
Catawba student Logan James said it was a great learning experience and networking opportunity.
“It was amazing to both witness and assist in the work that goes into hosting such an event,” James said.
James was joined by fellow students Jamareon Clark, Jhalisa Bell, Shemya Stanback, and Nathan Simmons.
The ACC basketball media day was held at the Spectrum Center, the venue in Uptown Charlotte that will host the 2019 ACC Basketball Tournament in March. Each of the 15 ACC basketball programs was represented by the head coach and two marquee players to meet with national journalists that included ESPN, Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
“This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our students, as Charlotte previously hosted the ACC basketball tournament in 2008,” said Duane Aagaard, associate professor of sport management. “The next time the tournament returns to Charlotte, it’s possible our Catawba students will be working within the ACC.”
The largest media interest was dedicated to UNC and Duke University, but the league had seven teams opening the season ranked in the Top 25: Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Florida State, and Clemson.
Student Josh Coman, who met UNC Coach Roy Williams, said ACC media day was “incredible.”
“Ironically, we learned that our supervisor (ACC Associate Commissioner Brian Morrison} is a Catawba College alumnus,” Coman said.
Joining Coman were first-year Catawba students Kyle Freeman, Giovanni Sterling, Jade Williams and Joseph Hyatt.