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...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
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 
