Our Sports and Society interns have a unique perspective on many aspects of Ohio State athletics, and we are honored to share some of their game-day experiences to show what it is like behind the scenes. In this article, Cameron Schlechty shares what it is like to be a student sports information director.

The thrill of a game day is like no other, especially at Ohio Stadium during football season as fans head in to cheer on The Ohio State Buckeyes.

For those who don’t attend, the thrill can be just as exciting with tailgates and watching the game on the preferred sports network. The Buckeyes’ die-hard fan base all come together throughout the season, tracking stats and following their favorite player’s and the team’s success.

Those watching or attending each week can thank the Ohio State athletic department for the performance put on to create a successful, smooth transition and experience for each fan who walks through the gates or watches on TV.

As a sports information director student assistant for The Ohio State Buckeyes athletic department, a typical game day begins three hours prior to the fans' roar for kickoff.

Let’s take, for example, the game with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane that had a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. I arrived to check-in at the stadium at 12:30 p.m., picked up my credential from the media will-call, and headed up to the press box through gate 23.

As I arrived at the press box, I set up my gameday placement next to our full-timer SIDs: Gary Petit, Mike Basford and Jerry Emig.

In preparation for kickoff, our team assists with phone and stat updates with the OSU stat crew as well as ESPN and Big Ten. We also ensure every media member is set with their correct credential and is ready to take on the task of coverage for the game.

As the game begins, my main job takes place after each quarter. When the clock hits zero, I head to our printer room in the press box to prepare the stats and game notes the team has prepared so far. These are handed to both teams' radio, the student radio, and the talent/TV personnel dependent on who has coverage over that particular game.

With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, I join two other communications team members and head to the field in preparation for the press conference. We await the singing of Carmen Ohio and then run up to the Ohio State locker room to await Coach Ryan Day, CJ Stroud, and other players in the press conference room. As players come up, I make sure to direct them and provide any preparation

needed before heading into the room.

As each player and Coach Day speak, our team records their answers in order to provide post-game notes for OhioStateBuckeyes.com for those who could not attend in-person or virtually.

Finally, we return to the press box to retrieve all name cards for the media who attended and type up the quotes to send over to Gary to be published on the website.

While the days can get long and busy, there is no other position I would rather be in on a game day. The communications office provides experience for media coverage and college sport, which is something I hope to continue to be a part of!