Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSU senior becomes of youngest to anchor ESPN game
By Blake Rong
Posted: 1/14/09, 3:48 AM EST Section: Feature
One Syracuse University student earned an opportunity that few sports fans get to experience in a lifetime.
Senior broadcast journalism and information management and technology major Stephen Andress appeared on ESPN as the play-by-play announcer for the college basketball game between Miami and West Virginia on ESPNU, the branch of ESPN that focuses on college sports, this past December.
Andress was joined by college basketball analyst Jay Williams, 27, who formerly played for Duke University and the Chicago Bulls. Together, the two were the youngest commentating team in the network's history.
The program was called "ESPN Campus Connection." It recruits students from schools across the country to produce their own televised segments, including sideline and play-by-play reporting of college sports events. It came to SU last year after its start at the University of North Carolina in 2007.
He made his televised debut during a football game between Syracuse and Connecticut on Nov. 15, during a last-minute mix-up that left him replacing a commentator only three days before the game.
"At the beginning of the week, we needed a sideline person," said Andress. "We found out Wednesday that it was a play-by-play person. The sideline person didn't have any experience doing play-by-play, and two other people couldn't give me an answer.
"I might as well take a risk because I'd rather put myself on there and take responsibility for myself," he said.
A sports fan since his childhood, Andress was chosen out of a handful of dedicated juniors and seniors in the program.
"They said, 'Let's see what the kid can do,' so they put me on, which was a great opportunity for me. That was kind of my debut, so to speak, on ESPN. On that point forward I got a call about a week later, at 10 at night, from the coordinating producer for ESPN basketball. He said 'how'd you like to do a couple more basketball games for us?'
"Very nonchalantly I said, 'great,' but on the inside I'm going berserk, I couldn't believe it."
Senior broadcast journalism and information management and technology major Stephen Andress appeared on ESPN as the play-by-play announcer for the college basketball game between Miami and West Virginia on ESPNU, the branch of ESPN that focuses on college sports, this past December.
Andress was joined by college basketball analyst Jay Williams, 27, who formerly played for Duke University and the Chicago Bulls. Together, the two were the youngest commentating team in the network's history.
The program was called "ESPN Campus Connection." It recruits students from schools across the country to produce their own televised segments, including sideline and play-by-play reporting of college sports events. It came to SU last year after its start at the University of North Carolina in 2007.
He made his televised debut during a football game between Syracuse and Connecticut on Nov. 15, during a last-minute mix-up that left him replacing a commentator only three days before the game.
"At the beginning of the week, we needed a sideline person," said Andress. "We found out Wednesday that it was a play-by-play person. The sideline person didn't have any experience doing play-by-play, and two other people couldn't give me an answer.
"I might as well take a risk because I'd rather put myself on there and take responsibility for myself," he said.
A sports fan since his childhood, Andress was chosen out of a handful of dedicated juniors and seniors in the program.
"They said, 'Let's see what the kid can do,' so they put me on, which was a great opportunity for me. That was kind of my debut, so to speak, on ESPN. On that point forward I got a call about a week later, at 10 at night, from the coordinating producer for ESPN basketball. He said 'how'd you like to do a couple more basketball games for us?'
"Very nonchalantly I said, 'great,' but on the inside I'm going berserk, I couldn't believe it."
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