TODAY’S BISONS BISON SPORTS REPORTER MAKES A TOUCHDOWN WITH SELECTION FOR ESPN’S NEXT PROGRAM

This past May, Erika Plunkett (’22) graduated as a Lipscomb legacy student in mechanical engineering, but she’s kick-starting her professional career not as an engineer, but as one of 25 people nationwide selected as content producers for ESPN’s NEXT program.

In July, she moved to Bristol, Connecticut, home of ESPN’s headquarters, and become a production assistant in the 18-month leadership development program that trains college graduates in two of seven areas—Sports Center, events, International Deportes, storytelling, college sports, NFL and daytime entertainment.

For Plunkett, who even as a young girl would give her father a college football recap “show” when he missed the games on Saturdays, sports reporting was nothing new. As a senior at Lipscomb Academy in 2018, she volunteered in the university Athletics office and helped with social media when the men’s basketball team went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history in March 2018.

She worked in various roles for Lipscomb’s ESPN+ productions, including student video producer, broadcast booth replay, directing audio, producing graphics and sideline reporter. She also served as editor of Lipscomb’s student news service, Herd Media, her sophomore and junior years. In addition, she assisted with broadcast and video production for Lipscomb Academy football games for several years.

At the end of the 18 months, participants can be promoted to content associate or other roles at ESPN. Plunkett has already made the first down; let’s cheer her on to the touchdown!

Read more about Plunkett at lipscomb.edu/espn.