SVG, NACDA Honor Recipients of 2013 College Sports Media Awards

Selected from a record number of submissions, the College Sports Media Awards winners were announced on May 29 during a ceremony at the Sports Video Group’s College Sports Summit in Atlanta. Now in their fifth year, the CSMAs — sponsored by Ross Video and presented by SVG and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) — recognize the best in video production at all levels of college sports: student productions, athletic departments, regional networks, and national networks.

ESPN senior coordinating producer Dave Miller accepts that award for Best Feature by a National Network for the touching piece, 'Fist Bump: A Brotherly Bond.'

ESPN’s Dave Miller accepts the award for Best Feature by a National Network.

The College Sports Media Awards received more submissions than ever before — 28% more than last year — nominating 92 productions in four categories: live game or event production; program series; promo, PSA, or video marketing campaign; and special feature. Each category is divided into four classifications: national networks and professional, regional sports networks and local cable providers, collegiate athletics, and collegiate students.

“This is the hardest year we’ve had in terms of judging,” noted College Sports Summit Chairman Tom Buffolano. “Everybody in the room who’s submitted, even if you didn’t get nominated, thank you for helping us move the industry forward, because that’s exactly what we’re doing here.”

Fox Sports took home the CSMA for its production of Texas at Oklahoma State football, and Longhorn Network was recognized for its presentation of Texas Tech vs. Texas baseball.

Rebels Rule: Ole Miss' J. Stern (left) and Shane Sanford took home the CSMA for Best Promo in Collegiate Athletics.

Rebels Rule: Ole Miss’s J. Stern (left) and Shane Sanford took home the CSMA for Best Promo in Collegiate Athletics.

Accepting for Men’s Ice Hockey – St. Cloud State vs. Alaska-Anchorage, St. Cloud State’s Matthew Szymanski thanked his school’s team — both on the ice and off — for a great season, and Southland Conference’s Chris Mycoskie recognized the role the fans played in his CSMA win.

“Thank you first of all to our great host for that tournament, Central Arkansas,” said Mycoskie, accepting for the Southland Conference’s production of the Women’s Volleyball Championship. “[With] the Bears reaching the championship game, there was an incredible atmosphere in that gym, and we were fortunate enough to be able to bring that to our viewers.”

In accepting the CSMA for Special Feature, both ESPN and the Longhorn Network dedicated the award to the subject of the production. ESPN’s production was a touching portrayal of two brothers in “Fist Bump: A Brotherly Bond,” while the Longhorn Network paid tribute to football player Alex Silver.

Dynasty: Josh Blessing (right) and Aaron Van Auken accept Ball State Sports Links third-straight trophy in the Best Feature in the College Student Division.

Dynasty: Josh Blessing (right) and Aaron Van Auken accept the trophy for Best Feature in the Student Division, Ball State Sports Link’s third-straight win in the category.

“We can’t tell these stories without the help of people who’ve endured these stories,” said Ben Hobbs, who served as supervising producer for “Alex Silver.” “The Silver family — Alex, who’s going through non-Hodgkins lymphoma; his mother, who went through breast cancer — they’re the ones who this trophy belongs to.”

Northern Illinois University won for its entertaining — and, no doubt, challenging — NIU Athletics Lipdub. Students from perennial winner Ball State Sports Link recognized Director of Digital Sports Chris Taylor for his accomplishments with the program.

“[Chris] is the last person to accept recognition, but he’s the one behind all of this,” said Josh Blessing, accepting the award for “Finding Refuge.” “We’ve grown so much in the past couple years. This program started with eight students and one camera, and it’s grown. This fall, it’s going to be a digital-sports-production office.”

Gig ‘Em! Texas A&M’s 12th Man Productions won the CSMA for Best Video Marketing Campaign in Collegiate Athletics, with (from left) Cade Key, Charlene Callaway, and Brandon Law accepting.

The CSMA for program series once again recognized Fox Sports South — which took home three awards throughout the evening — as well as the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Fox Sports South accepted the CSMA for “Under the Lights”; Oklahoma, for “Sooner Sports Pad”; and Texas A&M for “Welcome to the SEC.”

Bill Friedman, senior producer for studio and original programming for Big Ten Network, accepted on behalf of BTN’s “The Journey: Big Ten Basketball 2013” and took time to recognize the efforts of his fellow nominees.

“I think it’s great for all different levels to be recognized for their hard work and the good work that we [all] do,” he said. “I’d just like to thank my team that’s put this show together; it’s a team, but it’s a labor of love for us.”

Ben Hobbs accepts for The Longhorn Network, which won two awards on the night.

Ben Hobbs accepts for The Longhorn Network, which won two awards on the night.

The evening’s final category recognized promotions, PSAs, and video marketing campaigns. J. Stern, a fixture at the SVG College Sports Summit as well as the College Sports Media Awards, received his first CSMA for the University of Mississippi’s Ole Miss Football Team Intro.

Befitting the Atlanta location, CBS Sports took home the CSMA for its 2013 Final Four Tease, and Fox Sports South accepted for The NEW College Football Show: Bates and Bowden Campaign.

Valerie Gerfin, who recently graduated from the University of South Carolina, received the CSMA for her work on Gamecock Productions’ Softball Intro Video and was quick to thank the subject of her unique submission.

“I want to thank Coach Beverly Smith and the South Carolina softball team,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of coaches who would go along with lighting bats on fire.”

St. Cloud State's Justin Haugesag (left) and Matt Szymanski were honored for Best Live Event in the Collegiate Student Division.

St. Cloud State’s Justin Haugesag (left) and Matt Szymanski were honored for Best Live Event in the Collegiate Student Division.

Dave Cohen, serving as emcee for the evening’s festivities for the fifth year, reflected on the evolution of the College Sports Media Awards, as well as the college-sports-video industry itself.

“Five years ago, I thought there was a lot of video coming out of the college sports world,” he observed. “Back then, you had the regionals, you had the ESPN family of networks, you had some contributions from colleges. Since then, CBS and NBC have jumped in the game; you’ve had the advent of the Big Ten, Pac-12, and the Longhorn Network. The SEC is coming. There’s no telling how big this event may become in the coming years.”

A full list of winners follows; all winning videos can be viewed on Vimeo by clicking here.

NATIONAL NETWORKS/PROFESSIONAL
Live Game and Event Production
Fox Sports | Football – Texas at Oklahoma State
Program Series
Big Ten Network | The Journey: Big Ten Basketball 2013
Promotion, PSA, or Video Marketing Campaign
CBS Sports | 2013 Final Four Tease
Special Feature
ESPN | Fist Bump: A Brotherly Bond

REGIONAL/LOCAL NETWORKS
Live Game and Event Production
Longhorn Network | Baseball – Texas Tech vs. Texas
Program Series
Fox Sports South | Under the Lights
Promotion, PSA, or Video Marketing Campaign
Fox Sports South | The NEW College Football Show: Bates and Bowden Campaign
Special Feature
Longhorn Network | Alex Silver

COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Live Game and Event Production
Southland Conference | Women’s Volleyball Championship
Program Series
Texas A&M University | Welcome to the SEC
Promotion, PSA, or Video Marketing Campaign
University of Mississippi | Ole Miss Football Team Intro
Special Feature
Northern Illinois University | NIU Athletics Lipdub

COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Live Game and Event Production
St. Cloud State University | Men’s Ice Hockey – St. Cloud State vs. Alaska-Anchorage
Program Series
University of Oklahoma | Sooner Sports Pad
Promotion, PSA, or Video Marketing Campaign
Gamecock Productions/University of South Carolina | Softball Intro Video
Special Feature
Ball State Sports Link | Finding Refuge

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