WPSU SPORTS PRODUCTION UPDATE

Dear WPSU Board Members,

As most of you know, WPSU has been doing sports production work for Penn State’s Intercollegiate Athletics football and men’s and women’s basketball since Fall of 2012 (and our women’s basketball work goes back to the early 90s).

Everyone on our team has done a wonderful job with this work and we have been recognized for our excellence through the award nominations and awards we have garnered over the years.  Most recently, on September 19, 2020, the football and men’s basketball broadcast programs each won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award for their productions.

Unfortunately, over the course of the last few years, our expenses have outpaced the revenue received for this work. The delta has been anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000 annually. This year is especially complex because of the revenue shortfalls that we will face as a University due to the pandemic.

Recognizing that this year was going to be especially tough, we started talking to our partners before the start of this fiscal year, on an almost weekly basis, to determine this year’s scope of work.   After many hours of productive, yet challenging, conversations, with a team from Athletics and Human Resources, we have our answer.

Intercollegiate Athletics will be establishing an in-house sports production unit.  This means that WPSU will no longer be performing any of this work for Athletics, instead Athletics will transfer 6 of our 10 current dedicated full-time employees to their unit to do this work.  Unfortunately, this means that 4 of our current staff members will be displaced in the transition.

We relayed this news to our staff last week and have been making inquiries to identify opportunities within WPSU, Outreach, Online Education and the University, that could be filled by these staff members, based on their expertise.  We will work with each employee to seek out new possibilities and opportunities.

I realize this is difficult news to share given all that’s happening in the world today.  While I sincerely hope this transition goes smoothly for our impacted colleagues, I also believe this will be done in the most supportive way possible for those who will not be able to transition to a role within Athletics.

Please join me in wishing all of these individuals the absolute best in their next chapter personally and professionally.

Best,

Isabel Reinert
Executive Director
and General Manager
WPSU Penn State
238E Outreach Bldg
814-865-2810