When the 2021 fall semester began, Lehigh Athletics’ multimedia department relied on a small group of three students to operate broadcast cameras, manage replay and assist wherever needed. That group laid the groundwork for a multimedia operation that has since grown well beyond its original scope.
Four years later, the department has developed into a full creative unit producing cinematic videos, social media content, photography, podcasts and ESPN+ broadcasts. Students have been the driving force behind that expansion.
Kelly Rohrer, the associate director of communications for multimedia services at Lehigh Athletics, said rising student interest has reshaped the department’s capabilities.
“In terms of students, I’ve seen a significant growth in numbers and interest to work in our office,” she said. “Our smallest group was three people in fall 2021. This year, we have 22 students — both Lehigh and non-Lehigh students — working in our office.”
For Rohrer, the transformation extends beyond numbers . It reflects the expanding range of opportunities available to students across production and content creation roles.
“The variety of roles has changed as well between ESPN+ productions and content creation,” Rohrer said. “That has grown into students having more elevated roles such as directing or producing a broadcast.”
Students now serve as a primary creative force behind Lehigh Athletics’ digital presence. Rohrer said their work spans game highlights, podcasts, photography coverage, video features and short-form social media content.
As the department expands, so does the visibility of the team. Steve Lomangino, the director of sports communications at Lehigh Athletics, said maintaining a consistent brand identity across platforms is critical.
For Lomangino, consistency doesn’t require uniformity. Instead, it means ensuring all content aligns with a shared institutional voice.
“The media image of Lehigh Athletics is incredibly important,” Lomangino said. “We’re 26 varsity sports, but one unified athletic department, and a part of the university. Everything doesn’t have to look exactly the same, but it needs to be tied in to the Lehigh Athletics brand.”
The rapid expansion of digital media across college athletics has increased pressure on programs nationwide to elevate their presence. Lomangino said the challenge lies in meeting that demand without overwhelming full-time staff.
“There’s a race across college athletics to do more and do it better,” he said. “How can we produce more content, and do it better than our peers, without burning out our full-time staff?”
He said the answer is a combination of student involvement and advancing technology.
Lomangino said students and interns are particularly valuable in adapting to new tools. He also said he hopes they will continue to expand social media coverage of Lehigh Athletics programs while helping explore how artificial intelligence can be strategically integrated into daily operations.
Senior Kit Keating is an intern with the sports media department, working as a photographer and making the most out of the experience.
“I’ve learned so many things, from technical skills like understanding the differences in photographing various sports, to finding optimal angles and adjusting settings for fast paced action,” Keating said.
Keating also emphasized the importance of the media department within the school.
“The department is important in promoting our teams and athletes, engaging with fans, alumni and students,” she said.
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