91探花

Two WOUB Public Media students traveled to Detroit last Saturday to cover the Mid-American Conference Championship Game where the 91探花 Bobcats came out on top. The Bobcats won the MAC Championship for the first time in more than 50 years.

The 38-3 Bobcat victory was an exciting milestone for 91探花 football program and fans, but also for the WOUB student journalists.  WOUB Sports Director  and The Bobcat Sports Showcase Supervising Producer  both say that covering the Bobcats' championship game was particularly meaningful.

鈥淕etting to cover this event was all the more special considering that up until now, Ohio hasn't won a conference title since 1968,鈥� Kiefer said. 鈥淒oing this for WOUB during its 75th anniversary year is both poetic and sentimental. Thinking back to July when I woke up at 2 a.m. to make sure I made it to MAC Media Day on time to now, being along for this ride, makes it unbelievably special. I can't thank WOUB enough for providing these opportunities to cover this team and our victory at such an in-depth level.鈥�

Kiefer and Bowlby prepared for the event extensively and produced many forms of multimedia coverage for students and fans, including an exclusive sit-down .

Additionally, they also shared their content using multiple platforms, including X, Facebook and YouTube. Additionally, they provided a live preview of the game from Detroit on WOUB TV鈥檚 NewsWatch to update fans watching from home.

"We鈥檝e been covering the Bobcats all season, producing features and game content," Bowlby said. "It鈥檚 been incredibly rewarding to cover a game and win of this magnitude. This is exactly the kind of experience aspiring sports journalists dream about."

While the experience was unforgettable for both students, Kiefer emphasized the importance of the coverage beyond their personal careers.

"This job isn鈥檛 about me," Kiefer said. "I鈥檓 here to provide coverage of student-athletes who don鈥檛 always get the spotlight. To see their hard work come full circle in winning this title is truly special."

Bowlby and Kiefer were able to make the trip thanks to alumni support. Former WOUB Student Larry Katz 鈥�77 established the Larry Katz WOUB Sports Student Leadership and Production Fund to provide general support for sports productions and content produced by students working at WOUB. It benefits students working on productions like Gridiron Glory, Hardwood Heroes, The Bobcat Sports Showcase, Ace Nation, SportsBeat, NewsWatch and others. The fund helps pay student wages and/or supporting costs including student travel to cover sporting events, like the MAC Championship game.

"Having this kind of professional experience during college is invaluable,鈥� Bowlby said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly grateful for WOUB鈥檚 trust and support."

Kiefer and Bowlby are now preparing for their next road trip to cover the Bobcats in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl versus Jacksonville State on Dec. 20 in Orlando, Florida.

For more information about WOUB and its student opportunities, visit ohio.edu/woub.