ESPNU’s “Campus Connection” Program select 3 SWAC schools

DNS — This summer, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network and multimedia franchise, will launch a new professional development and awareness initiative called “ESPNU Campus Connection.” In its first year, the program will choose one student from 10 schools throughout the country to participate.
Of the 10 schools chosen for the program’s inaugural year, three of the five Historically Black College and University (HBCU) institutions are Southwestern Athletic Conference affiliated: Alabama A&M University, Texas Southern University and Southern University. ESPNU features a number of live HBCU events during the year.
“The ESPNU Campus Connection program will give each participant an opportunity to gain invaluable professional experience, while also contributing to the growth of the ESPNU brand on college campuses, which is at the heart of what we do,” said Burke Magnus, vice president and general manager, ESPNU. “We look forward to expanding the program and its offerings to more schools with every passing year.”
The students will be selected by a panel consisting of representatives from ESPN’s human resources, marketing, affiliate sales and programming departments. Once chosen, each “Campus Connection” participant will complete ESPN’s summer internship program (June-August) at one of the ESPN offices where he or she will receive training and materials to manage the program at his or her school for the entire academic year.
Each student will be primarily responsible for generating awareness about ESPNU at his or her respective college or university by coordinating on-campus activities at various school sporting events, such as promotional contests and hospitality events. In addition, the “Campus Connection” representative will contribute content ideas for various ESPNU platforms, including the television network and ESPNU.com. The representative will also keep the school informed of relevant ESPNU news and information through marketing and promotional materials, while also gaining valuable hands-on professional experience in the cable and sports industry.