By Ed Miller
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK
Down on the field, the scene was timeless. Base paths were being chalked and the infield dirt watered in much the same way they always have.
Up in the press box, things were decidedly higher tech.
Norfolk State director of sports information Matt Michalec hooked cables to a laptop computer and ran them to a high-definition camera on the baseball stadium's photo deck. In a matter of seconds, he made the Spartans' game against North Carolina A&T available to anyone with an Internet connection.
NSU began video streaming its games over the Net this school year, joining other colleges in the rush to reach fans through new media. It's a trend being embraced by schools of all sizes, from Division IIIs on tight budgets to major colleges with in-house production facilities that rival those of some TV stations.
In an on-demand world, no team appears to be too low-profile, no niche too narrow to find an audience. D-III volleyball anyone? It's just a couple of clicks away.
"At our level, without any TV broadcasts in place, it is a popular option for family members and friends to be able to watch their son or daughter competing," said Francis Tommasino, senior director of athletic communications at Christopher Newport University.
For smaller schools, low-cost technology has become an equalizer. Who needs a TV contract when, for a modest investment, colleges can produce their own content?
NSU spent less than $2,000 for a pair of HD cameras and under $100 on cables and a USB video capture device. The software program Michalec uses was a free Internet download. Voila, he was in business.
To stream its men's basketball games, CNU ran a line to a camera that coaches already had been using to film game tape, and mixed in audio from its radio broadcast.
These one-camera productions are admittedly rudimentary, but as many as 300 people logged in to watch some CNU games, which are streamed free of charge.
A typical NSU baseball or softball game might draw between 10 and 25 viewers, Michalec said. For football, the audience was about 50.
Still, with fans paying $5 per baseball game, $8 for football, and some buying season passes, NSU has so far been able to cover expenses and even make about $7,500, Michalec said. NSU shares that money with the company that produces its website.
For most schools, however, it's not about the money but about "growing the brand and keeping your fans connected," said Todd Goodale, associate director of athletics for marketing and video services at Virginia.
While bigger schools such as Virginia and Virginia Tech have larger audiences, their production costs also are higher. And with broadcast rights for many of their events owned by TV networks through the conference deal, they can't stream every game, only those that aren't showing elsewhere.
The ACC was out in front of the streaming trend several years ago, with an initiative called ACC Select. The conference partnered with Raycom Sports and CBS College Sports Network to stream events. Each school was provided with a budget to buy equipment and cover production costs.
"For three or four years, we did about 80 events with the money they gave us," said Kevin Hicks, director of broadcasting and visual media at Virginia Tech.
Schools stopped receiving money from ACC Select last year, when, "our third-party partners weren't able to finance it going forward," said Michael Kelly, the ACC's associate commissioner for communications and football operations.
With funding cut, Virginia didn't do any live streaming last year, Goodale said. Virginia Tech "backed way off," Hicks said.
Both schools jumped back in this school year. Tech streamed about 60 events, most of them Olympic sports. Virginia's spring package showed 17 baseball games as well as men's and women's lacrosse.
"It's outperformed our expectations and been very popular, especially for baseball," Goodale said.
Webcasts at both schools are multi-camera productions with radio play-by-play when available. Virginia already had video boards at most of its facilities and a control room at the John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia also has a spot on the web - virginiasportstv.com - that archives game highlights, postgame interviews and features.
The primary costs for both schools are for production personnel, including camera operators and directors.
"We're not trying to get rich off of it," Hicks said. "It would be nice if we could cover costs, but even if we lose money, it's worth it for the value of the exposure for Virginia Tech."
Old Dominion also is not expecting a windfall when it ramps up its live offerings next year, said Debbie White, senior associate athletic director. ODU, which streamed home football and men's and women's basketball games last year, plans to show every live home event next year, with the exception of rowing and sailing. ODU plans to sell monthly subscriptions.
"It's the way the industry is moving," White said. "Everyone wants their information instantaneously, and they want unique content."
ODU is investing in HD cameras and in a TriCaster "TV Studio in a Box," White said. But when it comes to reaching fans, even colleges operating on a shoestring can get in the game.
Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372,
ed.miller@pilotonline.com
CAPTION(S):
Jason Hirschfeld photos | For The Virginian-PiloT
Norfolk State volunteer Bruce Joslin works the video camera, above and top photo, during a recent home baseball game. NSU spent less than $2,000 for a pair of HD cameras.
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