Sports Media Program

The Bachelor of Arts in sports media is specifically geared toward students seeking communication careers in sports-related fields, such as sports journalism, sports broadcasting, public relations, marketing communications, and sports information.

Like all Jandoli School of Communication programs, sports media is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

A focus on fundamentals

Students enrolled in the major learn the same solid communications fundamentals as in the Jandoli School's undergraduate majors in journalism, strategic communication and broadcast journalism. They then focus on sports-related classes including "Sports Writing," "Sports Commentary and Analysis," "Sports Photojournalism," and more.

A primary focus of the sports media program is equipping students with solid writing skills, the bedrock on which all successful sports media careers rest.

Internships & opportunities: Put your education to work

St. Bonaventure's NCAA Division I athletics program, with nine men's and eight women's sports, offers sport media majors the opportunity to learn while doing, without leaving campus. Jandoli School students broadcast the university's D-I games on ESPN+. It's just one of a number of on- and off-campus internship opportunities available to our students.

All Jandoli School majors are required to complete 400 hours of internships, a combination of on-campus and off-campus experiences.

Internship Requirements
Campus Media Opportunities

Adrian "Woj" Wojnarowski, ESPN's Senior NBA Insider, speaks during the induction of his friend and fellow SBU graduate Michael Vaccaro (in sportcoat), lead sports columnist at the New York Post, onto the Jandoli School's Wall of Distinguished Graduates.

Jandoli grads achieve success, from ESPN to USA Today

Graduates of the Jandoli School hold some of the most prominent positions in the most respected sports media organizations in the country.

Adrion "Woj" Wojnarowski, Class of 1991, Senior NBA Insider at ESPN, has long been considered the most dominant force in reporting on the NBA. He has been named National Sportswriter of the Year three times by the National Sports Media Association.

Woj's good friend, Mike Vaccaro, Class of 1989, lead sports columnist for the New York Post, has a trifecta of his own, having been named New York Sportswriter of the Year three times by The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Donna Ditota, '83, sports reporter for Syracuse Media Group, is the first woman to be named New York Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Ditota has also been selected for the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame.

Tim Bontemps, '07, is an NBA writer for ESPN; Rachel Axon, '06, is a sports investigative reporter for USA Today; and Todd Dybas, '99, is a senior writer at NBC Sports Washington..

Jandoli Graduates in Sports Media

Program Information

Ten staff members named to St. Bonaventure’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aug 27, 2020

Ten members of the university community have been named to the Presidential Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Three St. Bonaventure students will be added to the commission early this semester, said Dr. Dennis DePerro, university president.

Earlier this summer, DePerro named Dr. Matrecia James and Dr. Kimberly DeSimone co-chairs of the reconstituted commission, formerly called the Committee on Equity and Inclusion.

“I’m confident Drs. James and DeSimone will prove to be a formidable tandem to push forward an agenda to improve our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across campus,” DePerro said.

James, dean of the School of Business, and DeSimone, associate professor in the Jandoli School of Communication, worked with DePerro to sort through more than 40 recommendations for commission membership.

“I was gratified to see that many people recommended. It gave me a great deal of hope that there is a groundswell of support across campus for this initiative and a collective desire to make a difference,” DePerro said.

“To see another horrific tragedy take place this week in Wisconsin only underscores the urgency of the work ahead of us,” he said. “This university needs to play whatever part it can to make a dent in the systemic injustice too many people in our nation cope with far too often.”

Faculty and staff named to the commission are:

Chris Brown, executive director of Student Success and HEOP
Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., Ph.D., director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies
Leslie Carlson, director of Human Resources
Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, associate professor, Jandoli School
Dr. Matt King, associate professor, English
Dr. Latoya Pierce, visiting professor, counselor education
Emanual Phillip, clubs mentor, Damietta Center
Dr. Tracy Schrems, assistant professor, adolescence education
Br. Angel Vasquez, O.F.M., minister-in-residence
Dahron Wells, counselor, Office of Admissions

The chairs said the commission’s guiding principles are rooted in the Franciscan values of community and individual worth. At the university’s annual Fall Convocation last week, James and DeSimone revealed the mission of the group:

“St Bonaventure University’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is committed to respecting the uniqueness of each individual, to embrace diverse backgrounds, to advocate for equitable and inclusive communities, and to foster opportunities to develop multi-cultural competencies.

“The commission is dedicated to developing educational and social initiatives that reflect the individual self-worth of all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status campuswide.”