Campbellsville University has arguably one of the best sports information departments in the NAIA division. From graphics, stories, photos, videos and social media posts to special interviews and covering any kind of event, this department pumps out a tremendous amount of content.
Zach Clements, the director of creative videos, started working for CU Sports Information as a student in 2016.
“I have always wanted to work in athletics,” said Clements.
On the creative video side, he said they have a great group of students who excel in this field. They’re able to collaborate and work together on a lot of projects.
“I would say the environment we have is efficient,” he said. “We all work in unison to reach one goal.”
According to Clements, CU Sport Information is a very open place for working students to brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other and help with different parts of the creative process.
“We share a lot of laughs which is a healthy balance,” said Clements. “I love working with the team we have now.”
Working in this field is always about improving. For Clements, the most satisfaction in this work is when he gets to watch students make something they’re proud of.
“Watching people enter our office with little to no experience and then in a year or so, be able to handle their own ideas is amazing,” he said.
This field is about working for and with athletes. That is why Clements likes working and having a team with different backgrounds. He also gets to know different athletes and people from all over the world and gives them the space to tell their story.
“I feel like they understand what all it takes from us and they appreciate the work we put in for them,” said Clements. “I think this office is very useful and helpful for athletics.”
According to Clements, the department is a family.
“We’re with each other more than our family and friends outside of the profession and we want to see each other succeed,” said Clements. “There are so many things that go on behind the scenes that nobody thinks about. People just see an event and think that’s it. They don’t think about the setup, scheduling, organizing equipment, the social media, graphics, updating the website, stats, etc.”
Brett Pierce, who started working in the sports information department in fall 2017, is the director of photography. He said the best part of this work is being able to be around all sports.
“I love working with athletes,” said Pierce. “Getting to develop those relationships are key to bring the best out of them when they know we’re there to capture moments.”
According to Pierce, without this department no one would know what happens for CU sports. Everyone that works there is essential to the overall experience for everyone.
“We’re the best creative team in the NAIA,” said Pierce.
Liliana Gonzalez, a student from Mexico, started working with the department in January 2023. She writes the recap stories for all of CU sports teams, and she also works with social media.
“Working with sports information is one of the best opportunities I could have ever been given,” said Gonzalez. “The environment around the office feels like a family. We are constantly working together, helping and supporting each other.”
For Gonzalez, this job has helped her understand that there’s always room for improvement in whatever you’re doing and teamwork is very important. Whenever it comes to writing and being with the team and athletes, Gonzalez is always there.
“I really like working with athletes,” she said. “I love hearing their stories and seeing how they integrate their sport into their lives.”
After working behind the scenes with the team, Gonzalez is convinced that CU athletics would not be the same without the sports information department.
“We play a big role on how CU athletics runs on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “Helping our current athletes, promoting our sports to prospective students and sharing with CU everything that happens with our sports teams are some of the things we do.”
Marc Boye, senior soccer player from Denmark, has a good relationship with the whole sport information team.
“They are very talented,” said Boye. “They work extremely hard, not only to make us athletes look good and have a good image on our different social media platforms, but also to have a good image of CU.”
