CJC offers students one of the most extensive, hands-on sports experiences. Students can write articles for our online and broadcast properties, work behind the scenes producing UF sports events and do play-by-play announcing at one of the premier athletic programs in the country. Immersion opportunities include:
The application for Summer ’25 and Fall ’25 will be available after Spring Break.
The Innovation News Center is the home of the College’s news, weather and sports operations. The two-story, 14,000-square-foot space provides nearly 100 seats for reporters, producers and editors working together to report the news for the College’s many distribution channels, including WUFT-TV and ESPN 98.1/850 WRUF.
ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM and 850 AM
WRUF serves 13 counties as ESPN 98.1/850 WRUF with four hours of locally-hosted sports talk shows. The top-rated sports station in the market, ESPN Gainesville also features Gator sports. CJC offers an assortment of different immersion experiences that incorporate our ESPN Gainesville 98.1 and 850 AM WRUF platforms. See the different experiences listed below and watch the video for further explanation.
All immersion experiences are 1 credit hour unless otherwise noted.
Intro to ESPN Gainesville – Meets Fridays, Period 4
Students will get the opportunity to cover and report on local high school sports for our WRUF.com website. Students will be trained in posting content to the website and be given the tools to cover high school sports in a team environment. This immersion experience is an introductory pathway to other experiences within the Innovation News Center. (No prerequisite)
Sports in 60 (1 credit hour) – Meets Tuesdays, Period 11
Students in this immersion experience will be anchoring and producing the SPORTS IN :60 segment. Students will be assigned a 3-hour shift in the newsroom in addition to the 1-hour class meeting on Tuesday nights. (No prerequisite)
ESPN Gainesville
Students learn the basics of multi-platform sports reporting in our state-of-the-art facilities while covering one of the nation’s leading athletic programs and within a short drive to many top professional organizations. This immersion experience focuses students on the basics of digital content production and radio on-air experience. (Must have completed Intro to ESPN Gainesville or permission from the Director)
Gator Tracks Daily Podcast
Students learn the basics of producing a daily podcast update and weekly newsletter about Florida Gators sports. This immersion experience focuses students on the basics of digital content production and on-air experiences. (Must have completed ESPN Gainesville or permission from the Director)
ESPN Gainesville 2
Students will continue to practice the basics of multi-platform sports reporting in our state-of-the-art facilities while covering one of the nation’s leading athletic programs within a short drive to many top professional organizations. This immersion experience focuses students on the basics of beat reporting as well as digital and social media content creation. Students in this immersion experience are also eligible to anchor the Sports in :60 segment for WRUF-TV. (Must have completed ESPN Gainesville or permission from the Director)
Reptile Report (3 CREDIT HOURS) – Meets Mondays, Period 5, Wednesdays Periods 5-6
Students will work to produce Sports@CJC’s 30-minute sports-only show, The Reptile Report. Students will learn about the basics of producing a sports TV show, video content creation, social media promotion and live show production while covering one of the nation’s leading athletic programs as well as featuring content about sports in the north-central Florida area. (Must have completed ESPN Gainesville or permission from the Director)
WRUF Social Content Producer
Students will begin to learn about the basics of producing a sports radio show, network producing and creating social media content for a radio station and digital platforms while covering one of the nation’s leading athletic programs. Students in this immersion experience are also eligible to anchor the Sports in :60 segment for WRUF-TV. (Must have completed ESPN Gainesville or permission from the Director)
Students will help generate content plans and ideas to boost the social media profile and awareness of the Sports@CJC program. Students will also assist in the creation of a weekly newsletter and other content as assigned. This independent study focuses students on the basics of digital and social content production. Must have previous professional social media experience or relevant coursework. (Download the form below and send to Eric Esterline, eesterline@jou.ufl.edu)
The application for Summer ’25 and Fall ’25 will be available after Spring Break.
ESPN Gainesville Features
Students will utilize skills learned in the classroom and immersion experiences in creating feature content for various audio, video and digital platforms throughout the Innovation News Center. Students in this immersion experience are also eligible to anchor the sports segment for the WUFT First at Five Newscast. (Must have completed ESPN Gainesville 2 AND permission from the Director)
ESPN Gainesville 3
Students will utilize skills learned in the classroom and immersion experiences in covering the Gators football team, Gators basketball teams and professional teams for various platforms throughout the Innovation News Center. Students in this immersion experience are also eligible to anchor the sports segment for the WUFT First at Five Newscast. (Must have completed ESPN Features AND permission from the Director)
(a registration form must be completed for each immersion experience you wish to apply for)
The application for Summer ’25 and Fall ’25 will be available after Spring Break.
Below is a video that explains all of the ESPN Gainesville Immersion Experiences.
Other Sports Immersion Experiences
Live Gator Sports Play-by-Play
ESPN WRUF, in conjunction with UAA and Learfield, is offering a student experience focused on training in the art of live sports broadcasting from play-by-play to color commentary and the production of high-quality content for mass audiences. Broadcasts air live on the Orange & Blue Sports Network YouTube page. This experience is for students who have a passion for play-by-play and color commentary. No prior experience is necessary but is preferred. Students are required to register for credit for this experience.
Registration form for Live Gator Sports PxP Experience – -send this form to Professor Thompson (gthompson@jou.ufl.edu)
Students can work side-by-side with professional talent, professors and fellow students in this state-of-the-art facility that promotes collaboration and communication between all of the sports multimedia platforms within the Innovation News Center.
Internships
Our Sports and Media program provides students with exceptional internship opportunities to complement their education. We have partnered with several sports news organizations, sports teams, and agencies, and work with our extensive Gator alumni network to help find our students the right fit for their internship experiences.
