Utah Athletics Is Preparing To Broadcast 50+ Live Events With Move To Big 12
May 31, 2024, 12:20 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – A lot of changes are taking place for the University of Utah and their athletics department as they prepare for a move to the Big 12 Conference in 2024.
One of the more notable changes for the Utes comes from no longer being able to rely on the Pac-12 Networks for broadcasts of live sporting events along with some of the touching behind-the-scenes stories on athletes, coaches, and teams.
Now, Utah will have to produce most of that content in-house which requires hiring talent, building studios, and even expanding current roles to get the job done.
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Athletic Director Mark Harlan talked about how that process has been going as well as how it benefits not just the athletic department, but the school during Big 12 meetings earlier this week.
Utah Athletics Expands Their Role To Include Broadcasting
In this coming season, Utah Athletics will be broadcasting 50 or so of their live sporting events that will air on ESPN+. It’s a big change from having the Pac-12 Networks that did all that work for them for the past 12 years.
“For the last 12 years we’ve had the Pac-12 Network,” Harlan said. “They have distributed and most importantly produced. This new agreement causes us to at a minimum produce 50 live events in year one and it will go further. Totally new for the University of Utah.”
While it is a big change and certainly comes with some challenges- especially with what feels like a short window to get up and going on something that hasn’t been done before at the school, Harlan says there is excitement around this new component of Utah Athletics.
“We are bringing in professionals combined with some folks who are already on our staff and do a lot of video work- broadcasting work,” Harlan said. “We will be producing many live sporting events moving forward. We are looking at studio dynamics. We’ve got a small plan to use trucks for a year or two and then we eventually want to get a studio.”
With the growth and interest in sports not just nationally, but locally, Harlan sees this as a great opportunity not just for the athletic department, but the university as a whole that could open doors for students to get some real-world experience in a field that is gaining popularity.
“I look at this as bigger than athletics,” Harlan said. “I think this is going to be great for the university. President Randall and I have talked frequently about how this could help the whole university. It’s a big change for us, but something we are really excited about.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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