The Sports Video Group (SVG) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced its finalists for the 2017 SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards.

Ball State Sports Link earned four nominations in four categories in 2017, bringing its total to an SVG-record 30 nominations since 2011.

Sports Link returns as a nominee in Outstanding Special Feature with Dear Teddy, produced by graduate student Tyler Bradfield and sophomore Connor Nichols.

In the Outstanding Program Series category, Sports Link’s all-access men’s basketball series Out of the Shadows was nominated.  Senior Matt Organ and junior Matt Craig served as the executive producers of the series.

The open to Out of the Shadows,  along with the official men’s basketball intro video played at Worthen Arena prior to every game, was nominated for Outstanding Promotion, Tease, PSA or Marketing Campaign.  Nichols also produced the open.

The third annual student-athlete awards show, The Chirpies, earned a nod in the Outstanding Live Non-Game Production category.  Senior Allison Wilson was the show’s executive producer, while senior J.C. Obringer directed.  The entire awards show was broadcast live on ESPN3.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and announced at the Ninth-Annual College Sports Media Awards ceremony on June 1 at the SVG College Sports Summit at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta. The event will be hosted by ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi.

“This year’s College Sports Media Awards Finalists represent an ever-rising bar of excellence in the college sports production industry,” says Tom Buffolano, Chairman of the SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards. “ The competitive pool keeps getting deeper and college productions must become more creative in the way they tell a story, whether it is a live game or profile. The proliferation of coverage of events like Signing Day showcase the growing fan interest in all things college sports.”

Representing a variety of college athletic and academic departments, as well as professional networks, production companies, and student productions, the finalists are spread across four divisions in a total of 20 categories.

OUTSTANDING LIVE NON-GAME PRODUCTION

COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Arizona State University (Walter Cronkite Sports Network) | Cronkite Sports Live Awards Show
Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | The 2017 Chirpies
St. Cloud State University (Husky Productions) | Husky Faceoff
Southeastern Louisiana University (The Southeastern Channel) | The Big Game

OUTSTANDING PROGRAM SERIES

COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Virginia Tech Athletics (HokieVision) | Sounds of Gameday
Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | Out of the Shadows: Season 4
Ryerson University | Ryerson Women’s Volleyball 24/7
University of Maryland (The Left Bench) | The Left Bench TV
Belmont University | Belmont Volleyball – All In

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL FEATURE

COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | Dear Teddy
Florida State University (Seminole Productions) | Torey’s Story
Kennesaw State University | #BringTheFight
SUNY Oswego (WTOP-10 TV) | Men’s Ice Hockey Learns to Figure Skate
Palm Beach Atlantic University | Driven: A PBA Lacrosse Story
Youngstown State University | Youngstown State Playoff Hype Video vs. Samford

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION, PSA, TEASE, OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

COLLEGIATE STUDENT
Ball State University (Ball State Sports Link) | Ball State Basketball Intro
East Carolina University | ECU’s Road to Omaha 2017
Harvard University | 65 Moments of the 65th Beanpot Tournament
Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw State vs. Liberty Hype Video Blackout
St. Cloud State University (Husky Productions) | University of Minnesota Duluth vs. St. Cloud State Tease
University of South Carolina (Gamecock Productions) | March to April – Gamecock Women’s Basketball Promo

About Sports Video Group
The Sports Video Group was formed in 2006 to support the professional community that relies on video, audio, and broadband technologies to produce and distribute sports content. Leagues, owners, teams, players, broadcasters, webcasters, and consumer technology providers have joined the SVG to learn from each other, turn vision into reality, implement new innovations, while sharing experiences that will lead to advancements in the sports production/distribution process and the overall consumer sports experience. For more information, visit www.sportsvideo.org.

About National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 11,000 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 4,000 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 15 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.