In a bid to outrun mere regional recognition, UTSA Athletics is gearing up to project its brand and athletic prowess on a broader scale, with a whopping $5 million invested in streaming technology.
At a time when being seen can mean everything, the deal – inked this spring – is meant to broadcast UTSA's sporting events far and wide, "We have two state-of-the-art broadcast control rooms that meet ESPN and American Athletic Conference standards," Sean Cartell, senior associate athletics director, told KENS 5. Roadrunners’ games are no longer tethered to Texas soil, instead, they're taking flight across the nation and even tapping on screens globally.
Revealing the flexible muscles of their new broadcast facility nestled within the RACE building, the UTSA Athletics department is preparing to roll out approximately "90 to 100 broadcasts per year", according to Cartell. These broadcasts will cover a battery of sports including men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer.
It's not just about lighting up TVs and devices with top-tier sports entertainment; it’s also about recruitment. Coaches see this technological advancement as a recruitment game-changer, providing their sports programs with much-needed visibility. "They can get out to recruits anywhere around the country and say, 'Turn on ESPN+ and you'll see the Roadrunners,'" Cartell explained, and not just any broadcast, but an "ESPN high-quality broadcast production." In a nutshell, it's the largest billboard UTSA could hope for – sprawling across digital and streaming arenas.
