WILMINGTON – The Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, announced today the launch of the Blue Coats Broadcast Academy powered by Rowan Radio. The team and Rowan University will hold student auditions for Blue Coats play-by-play and game analyst roles through this unique extracurricular opportunity. Through the partnership, Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM, which has won 327 regional and national awards since 1993, will air all team home games at 76ers Fieldhouse and becomes the official flagship radio home of the Delaware Blue Coats.
The Blue Coats Broadcast Academy powered by Rowan Radio will host broadcasting auditions in January 2021. Additional scheduling details will be announced at a later date. The judging panel will include Philadelphia 76ers radio broadcaster Tom McGinnis, Blue Coats television analyst Dei Lynam, Blue Coats television play-by-play broadcaster Matt Murphy, Rowan Radio Station Manager Derek Jones and Rowan University Director of the Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact Neil Hartman.
Additionally, the program will begin accepting applications for student broadcast producers immediately.
“We are thrilled to begin this innovative relationship with Rowan University,” said Blue Coats President Larry Meli in a statement. “At its core, the NBA G League is all about developing talent, and that extends beyond the basketball court. We are excited to capture that spirit in our game broadcasts by providing the opportunity for students to put unparalleled, live professional basketball experience on their resumes.”
Supplementary to the broadcasting opportunities, the Blue Coats will host Rowan students through game night job shadow roles in the areas of game presentation, box office management, guest services, media relations and more.
Dr. Sanford Tweedie, Dean of the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, which houses the Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact at Rowan, said it is ever more important to build relationships outside the classroom that can lead to student employment opportunities.
“In a time of tight economic markets, it is critical that we continue to provide internship opportunities for our students, as we know these often lead to post-graduation positions,” Tweedie said in a statement.
Eligible students must be currently enrolled at Rowan University. Interested parties can contact Neil Hartman (hartmann@rowan.edu) or Alex Yoh (alexyoh@76ers.com) for more information. Details on the upcoming Blue Coats basketball season and broadcast schedule are forthcoming.
