CFP National Championship 2022: College Football Playoff's Digital-Video Push Culminates in Epic Title Weekend All-star content team brings beautiful visuals, access to college football's grandest stage By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital Friday, January 21, 2022 - 1:31 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
When it comes to telling one's own story, few governing bodies in American sports have invested more robustly in modern digital-video storytelling than the College Football Playoff.
The #CFBPlayoff content team on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium following Georgia's win over Alabama.
Front row left to right: Thomas Vehige, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Josh Tu, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Billy Quach, Let It Fly Media; Mick White, Let It Fly Media and #CFBPlayoff Social Team Alum, Andrew Carter (blue blazer), Let it Fly Media; Evan Miller (blue hat sitting), Let It Fly Media; Ben Walnick (tan blazer), Let It Fly Media; Brandon Brieger, #CFBPlayoff Social Team.
Back Row left to right: Matt Lange, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Tom Martin, Let It Fly Media; Drew Mathis, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Rankin White, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Lauren St. Paul, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Seena Griewe, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Jacob Reeves, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Hallie Merz, #CFBPlayoff Social Team (2021-22 Tom Mickle Communications Intern for the College Football Playoff); Madison Olmo, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Maddie Anderson, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Anthony Getz, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Justin Kim, Let it Fly Media, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Caelan Carr, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Kaylen Buschhorn, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Evan Rabinowitz, #CFBPlayoff Social Team; Chris Schneider, Let It Fly Media; Katie Cavender, #CFBPlayoff Social Team/Assistant Director of Communications and Branding, College Football Playoff.
This past 2021-22 campaign was one of notable growth for the organization, which expanded its efforts even further to bring elite media coverage not just to the three championship college football games it hosts each year as part of the CFP but to the organization's year-round effort.
Even still, it's at the crown jewel - the College Football Playoff National Championship - that the content strategy is fulfilled. Throughout the national championship weekend, content creators recruited to freelance the event blanket social-media handles with eye-popping coverage of everything CFP: from planes touching down in the host city to the lifting of the trophy on Monday night.
Our end game was simple: to tell the story of the entire CFP National Championship Weekend for our owned channels, while also providing B-roll content to credentialed media covering the CFP festivities as well, says Katie Cavender, assistant director, communications and branding, College Football Playoff. The collaboration, creativity, and communication was unmatched, and I'm confident in saying that we're energized for continued growth in this area.
Recruiting the elite team of content creators is Cavender, a sort of sports creatives' version of George Clooney in Ocean's 11. When she first came on board at the CFP following an 11-year run at the Mountain West Conference, Cavender inherited a social-media program that allowed for volunteers from various athletic departments, agencies, and other wings of the sports world to work the weekend for CFP. Under her watch, that program has grown by leaps and bounds. While highly accomplished content creators certainly fill the lineup, the program has also notably shifted its focus to growing the team with emerging stars in the creative field - recent graduates or even current students.
Memories that will last a lifetime.#NationalChampionship #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/XIrs17BZYr
College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 11, 2022
If anyone knows me, they'll know that I'm a geek for great content, says Cavender. I always have a running list of creators who stand out, and, when we get to the college football season, we will pull together the best of the best from that list while striking a balance for our content mix with photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and publishers.
From there, invitations are extended, and Cavender builds out a balanced squad to blanket social media throughout the weekend. The various experience levels also offer a strong educational and networking experience for all involved. The program has seen many alumni go on to work for professional sports teams and other major brands throughout the industry.
The #CFBPlayoff social team was loaded with elite shooters, editors, and content creators. Cavender oversaw the entire effort with the help of CFP Communications Intern Hallie Merz. This year's crew featured Maddie Anderson, Brandon Brieger, Kaylen Buschhorn, Caelan Carr, Anthony Getz, Seena Griewe, Matt Lange, Drew Mathis, Madison Olmo, Evan Rabinowitz, Jacob Reeves, Lauren St. Paul, Josh Tu, Thomas Vehige, and Rankin White.
This was also the first year the CFP was able to bring aboard Kansas City-based creative marketing and production agency Let It Fly Media to fill out its high-level video-content creation. The company came out in force, with company founders Andrew Carter and Ben Walnick joined by Creative Director Billy Quach, Storytelling Director Tom Martin, Director of Growth Chris Schneider, and producers Justin Kim, Mick White, and Evan Miller.
@cfbplayoff
Stetson Bennett. #CollegeFootball x #CFBPlayoff
Is You Ready Migos --
The #CFBPlayoff social-video campaign was as comprehensive as the weekend-long festivities. The lineup of content creators from the #CFBPlayoff social team, Let It Fly Media, and 17 still photographers and editors (led by Kevin Jairaj) arrived in Indianapolis the Thursday prior to the title game to get a feel for the layout of
