University becomes second in the nation to offer an outdoor media program.
“How can we be different? What will set us apart and make us unique?” School of Communication Associate Professor of Practice Rory Faust asked himself as he thought of ways to expand the university’s sports media program.
Like many other businesses in the region, the answer was in the geography.
“There are a total of two national parks and six national monuments within a two-hour drive or less. The outdoor activities are the number one motivator for people to visit Flagstaff,” said Discover Flagstaff Marketing and Media Relations Manager Lori Pappas, noting that Smart Asset ranked Flagstaff in its top 10 fitness friendly places in 2021.
Although NAU already had the tools for students to pursue sports media, the outdoor adventure element will allow students to report beyond traditional sports such as football, basketball and volleyball, and include mountain biking, climbing, hiking and other outdoor recreational sports. This, says Faust, promotes the uniqueness of NAU’s backyard and will separate it from other in-state sports media programs.
“No one else is where we are,” said Faust. “We have the market cornered by our location. For us to be able to be here and have all of these natural resources available to us, no one else can match that.”
Members of NAU’s sports media program currently report on high school sports across the region and provide coverage of NAU’s Division I athletics. However, this certificate will allow students to further immerse into the community by working with local outdoor recreation businesses.
“As we start this program, and students learn about the different opportunities we have within the community, I really feel like this has the potential to take off,” said Faust. “The possibilities are endless as far as the opportunities for students to get involved in the community and with different businesses.”
Faust was offered a job at West Virginia University to oversee their Sports and Adventure Media undergraduate degree program. Instead of accepting the position, he chose to stay at NAU, where he has been working to model his own curriculum at his alma mater. Thus, NAU’s Sports and Adventure Media undergraduate certificate makes the School of Communication unique within Arizona and also makes NAU the second university in the nation to incorporate the outdoor media element into its journalism program.
Faust has led the program to great success already, even without the marketing advantage of a formal certificate program. In 2022, NAU was ranked 13th in sports programs by the Broadcast Education Association. In addition, the SportsCasters Talent Agency of America ranked NAU in the top 20 sports broadcasting schools last year.
Nathan Ecker, sports section student manager of the campus newspaper, The Lumberjack, is one of many students who may benefit from the new certificate. “I think it will allow us to appreciate the Flagstaff community more,” he said. “We are getting a deeper appreciation and we’re making deeper connections.”
Students within Ecker’s program have had opportunities to report from some of the largest sports stages in the country, including the Super Bowl, NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Final Four, the College Football Playoff, MLB Spring Training and NASCAR.
With full support from the School of Communication to the Office of the Provost, Faust said he is confident the program will flourish.
“We are just really excited about the future. Hopefully, as we look ahead, this will be a destination for not only students in Arizona, but for prospective students around the country.” FBN
By Ava Nichols, FBN
Courtesy photo by Rory Faust: NAU students Michael Manny, Ava Nichols, Lindsey Ridgway and Brenden Martin, shown here during opening night, reported on Super Bowl LVII in Glendale last February.
