Broadcast Control Room - Facilities - Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Broadcast Control Room

Located inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, the Eastern Michigan University Broadcast Control Room opened in fall 2019 and marked the first permanent broadcast facility in EMU Athletics history. The launch moved the department from a mobile unit staged on a loading dock to a fully integrated production center built to serve a national audience. Since the ESPN initiative began in 2015, EMU has produced more than 300 events for ESPN platforms, along with dozens of in-house productions, while giving students direct experience with professional equipment and live event workflows.

In 2021, EMU stood among only eight FBS institutions to attempt a live National Signing Day production for the ESPN family of networks. A year later, the department added its first dedicated broadcast studio. The addition positioned Eastern Michigan University as the only school in the Mid-American Conference to deliver live, in-studio halftime reports for both men’s and women’s basketball games. The studio features variable sets and supports live interviews with coaches and student-athletes across ESPN platforms and other broadcast channels.

The control room expanded again in fall 2024 with fiber connectivity to Scicluna Field and Oestrike Stadium. With fiber links to each primary venue, the broadcast center now produces live ESPN+ digital events and in-game video board content for Rynearson Stadium, the George Gervin GameAbove Center arena and atrium, Oestrike Stadium, and Scicluna Field. The facility operates Ross Carbonite switchers and supports simultaneous internal productions while maintaining one dedicated ESPN transmission. All digital events are transmitted through a Haivision IP encoder in HD 720p format.

The primary production switcher is a Ross Carbonite Black Plus 2ME with 48 inputs and 48 outputs, installed in 2019. A second Ross Carbonite Plus 1ME, provided through the conference in 2015, supports additional workflows. Replay capabilities include a NewTek 3Play 820 and a NewTek 3Play 4800, each offering eight inputs. Graphics are driven by XPression Studio with three channels, and routing is managed through a Blackmagic Universal Videohub 288 with SDI, fiber, Dante, and analog audio connectivity. Audio is mixed on a Behringer X32 console, while communications run through an RTS ODIN intercom system with 16 channels and 12 operator panels, supported by Freespeak wireless beltpacks.

Camera resources include eight Hitachi Z HD5000 units paired with Fujinon 20x lenses, four Marshall CV502 mini cameras, and four BirdDog PTZ cameras. Hybrid SMPTE fiber cabling supports more than 1,000 feet of infrastructure, and wireless capability is available through Teradek Bolt systems. Game-day camera counts vary by sport: basketball uses nine cameras, volleyball and gymnastics eight, football five, and soccer four, with baseball and lacrosse integrated through the same fiber backbone.

The operation is led by Greg Steiner, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs, and Anthony DiCarlo, Assistant Athletic Director for Broadcast Productions. Two full-time staff members oversee a hybrid workforce of freelance professionals and student crew members. Freelancers serve in roles such as play-by-play, analyst, director, and engineer, while students fill positions in camera operation, replay, graphics, audio, technical direction, and game day support. Together, the team produces high-level digital broadcasts that elevate Eastern Michigan University’s visibility across the Mid-American Conference and the national ESPN platform.