OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 9, 2021) – Whether it's at a cold and blustery soccer field, inside a softball or baseball press box or gymnasium, at a pool or bowling alley or most any venue where Oklahoma Christian student-athletes and coaches are competing or being recognized, you'll often find workers from OC's athletic communications office.

Hours before the game begins and hours after it ends, those workers labor to facilitate game operations, update websites and social media and tell the stories of student-athletes and coaches. That storytelling comes in different mediums – words, pictures, video, statistics, graphics – but the goal is the same: to publicize the accomplishments of those who represent OC athletics and bring positive attention to the university.

Those people in college athletics who spend their professional careers promoting others were celebrated during the College Sports Information Directors of America's annual Membership Recognition Week, which this year was from Nov. 3-9.

The purpose of the week was to show appreciation for athletic communication professionals, to showcase their efforts and accomplishments and to bring positive recognition to them and to their work in promoting student-athletes and their institutions and conferences throughout all levels of collegiate athletics. Administrators, coaches, student-athletes, parents and fans were encouraged to post on social media their personal thanks for their sports information directors by using the hashtags #ThankYourSID and #SIDsMakeItHappen.

"No part of an athletics department has more constituents, or touches more people, than sports information," said Bill Little, a retired sports information director at Texas who's a past president of CoSIDA. "We are responsible to the media, our department administrators, our coaches, our student-athletes, our university administration, our faculty, our alumni and our fan base. That is at least eight different 'publics' that we serve.

"It's often been said that an athletics department is a university's 'front porch.' Because of the vast media opportunities it brings, I prefer to look at it as a university's 'Window to the world.' It is the SID's job to open that window."

If you've read a story, looked at a boxscore or statistical file or schedule on OC's athletic website (www.oceagles.com), watched a video stream of a game, followed highlights of a game on an OC social media channel, followed live statistics from an OC game, enjoyed an article or feature about an OC athlete or coach in the media, admired photos of OC athletes and coaches or just attended a game and enjoyed the ambiance, then you've been touched by the work of the OC athletic communications office.

Mostly working behind the scenes, the office sets up and runs video streaming equipment during games, keeps game statistics, handles public-address and sound duties, communicates with media members, updates social media sites on multiple platforms, produces graphics and videos, nominates student-athletes and coaches for awards, manages the brand of the athletic department, coordinates the work of the Athletic Hall of Fame committee and maintains historical records, among other duties.

The office also is responsible for maintaining and providing fresh content for OC's athletic website. At least one story has been posted on oceagles.com every day (including holidays) since Jan. 2 and during busy times on the OC schedule, the website sometimes has as many as 11 new stories per day.

If that sounds like a lot of work, it is, but that's what's necessary to provide OC student-athletes, coaches and fans with a quality product.

OC's athletic communications office is led by Murray Evans, a 1989 OC alumnus, who is in his 11th year serving as the university's assistant athletic director for communications/sports information director. As OC's number of varsity and club sports has grown – from 12 in 2011 to 22 in 2011 – so have the responsibilities of that office.

This academic year, four graduate assistants have worked in the office, including Kregg Matthews, who is in his fifth year of service and handles much of its social media, graphics and in-game sound; Nehemiah Knox, an OC graduate who serves as the department's primary videographer; and Edie Fairchild, who's in her first semester in athletic communications after spending the 2020-21 academic year with the softball team.

Another OC GA, Morgan Boling, a former OC soccer player, will begin full-time work later this week as the sports information director at another NCAA Division II and Lone Star Conference institution, Texas Woman's. Boling helped handle statistical, broadcast, social media and writing duties during her three semesters in OC's office.

Four student workers assist with equipment setup/breakdown and help handle in-game operational and statistical duties for OC's volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball teams – junior Andrew Evers of Lubbock, Texas; sophomore Jhalen Blackburn of Mansfield, Texas; junior Walker LaRue of Whitehouse, Texas; and senior Robert Gregg III of Edmond.

OC alumnus Tim Herbel, in his 10th season as the high-energy public address announcer for OC's basketball and volleyball teams, helps to secure game sponsorships. Steven Christy, an entry programmer analyst for OC's information technology department, uses his considerable skills as a photographer to bless OC's student-athletes and coaches. His work can be seen at www.stevenchristyphoto.com.

Eagle Media, led by mass communication instructor David Jurney, is responsible for the broadcasts of OC basketball games, with junior Elijah Johnson of Mesquite, Texas, serving as the primary commentator. Alumni who help with those broadcasts at times include Knox, Shane Magness and Danny Henderson. Another OC alumnus, Tony Sellars, handles play-by-play duties for OC baseball games online. A local broadcaster, David Garrett, has joined Boling this past semester on OC volleyball and soccer streams.

"Every one of these students, alumni and workers has a key role in helping us successfully promote OC athletics," Evans said. "They work long hours – including a lot of nights and weekends, in all sorts of weather – behind the scenes so that OC students, parents and fans can follow their teams in different media. It isn't always easy, but it's almost always rewarding. We get a front-row seat to experience a lot of cool stuff.

"We don't hear the words 'thank you' very much, so the next time you see one of these people, please tell them how much you appreciate the work they do. They help promote the accomplishments of others and they, too, deserve some recognition for their hard work."