Fox Sports, Big East Celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day With All-Female Crew Prior to the Villanova-Marquette basketball game, festivities will include a women's breakfast, leadership panel By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Today is National Girls & Women in Sports Day, and Fox Sports and the Big East Conference are teaming up on a special initiative: front-of-camera and back-of-house crews for tonight's women's basketball game between nationally ranked Villanova and Marquette on FS2 will be staffed entirely by women. The occasion will highlight not only the two programs on the hardwood but also the abundant opportunities for women in sports-video production.
It's a chance for us to show the next generation that, if you want to be involved in sports, it doesn't have to be just as the athlete or the coach on the sideline, says Kristin Hennessey, producer, Syracuse University Athletics, who will be at the front bench for tonight's broadcast. It's also an opportunity for those who have been established in this business to let others know that their efforts are appreciated.
The matchup between Villanova and Marquette will feature an all-women production and operations team at Villanova's Finneran Pavilion.
Continuing Concept: Building on a 2020 All-Female Broadcast Although Wednesday night's broadcast will be national, it isn't the first one involving Hennessey and Big East Senior Associate Commissioner, Broadcasting, Scott Hecht. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACC Network Extra presented a women's basketball game between Georgia Tech and Syracuse University, where Hecht was executive producer/director, production department. The endeavor was orchestrated by an all-female broadcast crew, and, though not as extensive as tonight's all-female production and operations crew, it set the foundation for the bigger effort three years later. And Hecht and Hennessey's rapport and chemistry have proved useful this time around.
[Fox Sports] asked me for recommendations on who to produce this show, Hecht says. There was only one person I could think of. Kristin is the perfect person to produce this show for a multitude of reasons, but the one thing that I'll be able to do on this show that I didn't in the last one is provide Kristin with some more elements to utilize within the broadcast.
The talent and front-bench team sitting courtside. (From Left): Meghan Caffrey, Kim Adams, Kristin Hennessey, Bonnie Reilly, and Sloane Martin
Hennessey sees the logistics and scheduling as optimal in making the 2020 production a noteworthy moment. Tonight, the occasions surrounding the game have allowed her to bring together an experienced team of women who know how to do their jobs at a high level.
The schedule [three years ago] worked out to where our entire front bench was going to be female, and we took it from there, she says. This is totally different because it's centered on National Girls & Women in Sports Day and the fact that the Big East is celebrating Title IX this year. Those tie-ins give us the ability to make this bigger than just a broadcast and pointing out women that are working in it.
Amplifying the Message: Bringing Female Empowerment to Center Stage With the network and conference on board, the next step was expanding the publicity about the game's importance. Leveraging the influence of both Villanova and Marquette as institutions as well as their athletic programs, the Big East came together with both schools to create the programming surrounding the production.
Both programs have been wonderful to work with, says Nicole Early, senior associate commissioner, marketing and external affairs, Big East Conference. There's the broadcast, and then there's the event around it. Whether you're watching on TV, following on social, or sitting in a seat [in the venue], you're going to be able to see that everything is pointed towards supporting women in the industry.
The Women Leaders in Sports panel in the Fitzgerald Club at Finneran Pavilion.
With support from Villanova Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Athletics Administrative Officer/Senior Women Administrator Lynn Tighe and Associate Athletic Director, Marketing, Janine Shao, the day began at Villanova's Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership with a breakfast featuring all 13 women's athletics programs. At 4 p.m. ET in the Fitzgerald Club at Finneran Pavilion, executives from around the industry will participate in a Women's Leadership panel. Moderated by Fox Sports Analyst Kim Adams, the panel will feature NBC Sports Chief Financial Officer Christine Dorfler, Playfly Sports Properties President Christy Hedgpeth, Women's National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Terri Jackson, and Philadelphia 76ers COO Lara Price.
Sidelines Storyteller: Reporter Meghan Caffrey's Journey to Tonight's Assignment Another integral player in the production will be Sideline Reporter Meghan Caffrey. A graduate of Penn State University, she has served in various positions throughout her career: student sideline reporter for Big Ten Network and anchor and executive producer at WPSU during her college years, reporting on local sports in the Lehigh Valley for nearly two years after graduation, a producer runner for Fox Sports' MLB and NFL properties. The journey has given her perspective, but the passion that has brought her to the role of sideline reporter and host of various conference shows, including Big East Fastbreak, was forged in childhood.
I was a dancer, mostly in ballet, but I always wanted to get into sports and storytelling, she says. Growing up, I loved watching games
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
Fox Sports, Big East Celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day With All-Female Crew Prior to the Villanova-Marquette basketball game, festivities will include a women's breakfast, leadership panel By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor 
