Carmical Sports Media Institute

Carmical Sports Media Institute

Training aspiring sports media professionals at the University of Georgia’s John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute.

overview

The Carmical Sports Media Institute gives UGA’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program a home base and a distinct brand. The institute provides the resources for student support and experiential-learning opportunities, on-campus programming, community outreach and industry networking.

Housed in Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Carmical Sports Media Institute emphasizes foundational journalistic principles while helping students adapt and innovate as sports storytellers.

Sports Media Certificate

Overview

The Carmical Sports Media Institute is home to the Sports Media Certificate, the most in-depth yet wide-ranging program of its kind.  

The six-course certificate program uses hands-on experience to help students develop a variety of skills, including broadcasting (on-air and production) and creating social and digital sports content. The Sports Media Certificate is open to all UGA undergraduates, regardless of major or year in school. Certificate students explore the societal impact of sports and sports media while gaining the multiplatform skills that give them a distinct job-market advantage in one of the media industry’s growth sectors.

The Sports Media Certificate debuted in 2014. Its graduates are working across the sports media industry, for networks such as ESPN, for professional and college teams, and for media outlets such as The Washington Post and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sports Media Institute

The Sports Media Certificate program is offered by the Sports Media Institute to to allow undergraduates to explore a range of sports media specialties, including writing, broadcasting, social media and team communications.

Perspectives

“My favorite memory is getting selected to cover the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia. THe opportunity to cover such talented and high-profile athletes at an event like the World Cup is a dream come true.”

Emily Dozier

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“My favorite memory is covering several Clarke Central athletes at the Track and Field State Championships for my Sports Social Media Production class. I worked, learned and grew with them all season, and it was awesome to be there in person to see it all come to fruition.”

DonA Traylor-Askew

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“The Carmical Institute “aided me in finding my true passion of videography. It’s good to be multi-dimensional in this industry, but it’s just as important to find something specific that you can turn into a career path.””

LJ Jackson

Social content specialist, Purdue Sports, AB ‘22

Perspectives

“I am so thankful to have gone through one of the toughest programs in the country and learned from some of the greats in the industry. They have given me the resources and guidance to be successful.”

Kennedie Weems

Audio Video Technology and Film teacher, Richmond Hill High School, AB ‘22

Perspectives

“This was massive. This was the best decision I’ve ever made. I transferred to Georgia a little over a year ago, and this is why. These opportunities.” Winstel covered the Australian national team as a writer in Brisbane during the Women’s World Cup.

Luke Winstell

Journalism, Current Student

Perspectives

“I chose Grady and journalism because I love to talk and tell stories. I love meeting people and learning random information. Journalism has allowed me to be put in spaces and opportunities that I wouldn’t normally be in because I have to tell the story.”

Armani Kardar

Journalism, (AB ‘22)

Faculty

  • A headshot of Vicki Michaelis.

    Vicki Michaelis

    John Huland Carmical Chair in Sports Journalism & Society

    About: Vicki Michaelis is the director of the John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute at UGA. She teaches classes in the institute’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program. View Curriculum Vitae […]

  • A headshot of Welch Suggs.

    Welch Suggs

    Associate Professor

    About: David Welch Suggs, Jr., is an associate professor at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. in July 2011 after careers as a journalist, as a policy advocate, […]

  • A headshot of Carlo Finlay.

    Carlo Finlay

    Senior Academic Professional, Assistant Director of Carmical Sports Media Institute

    Carlo Finlay is the associate director for the Carmical Sports Media Institute.

  • A headshot of David Lawson.

    David Lawson

    Lecturer, Sports Media

    David Lawson in a lecturer at Grady College.

  • A headshot of Andy Johnston.

    Andy Johnston

    Editor in Residence

    Johnston has covered sporting events on every level in his 33 years as a writer and editor for daily newspapers and websites. He was recognized as one of the country’s […]

  • Darryl Ledbetter

    Part-time faculty

    About:: His professional background includes work in both the print and broadcast media. He’s currently the award-winning Atlanta Falcons Beat Writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has appeared on […]

  • Dayne Young

    Program Coordinator

    Dayne Young (ABJ ’11) is the program coordinator for the Carmical Sports Media Institute and the New Media Institute, a role he began in 2022. He graduated from the University […]

The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Two students sit in front of a green screen as they prepare to film a segment.

Profiles of Tenacity: Taft Gantt

Fourth-year journalism student Taft Gantt is passionate about sports. He values his relationships with both his professors and his peers. Why did you choose your major? I chose to study […]

Students return from covering World Cup with sharpened skills and AP bylines

This summer, 17 University of Georgia sports media and visual journalism students traveled to Australia to cover the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for The Associated Press. “It’s one thing […]

Grady InternViews: Harper Lawson

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experience.   Harper Lawson is a fourth-year journalism student working with the WNBA Dallas […]

Grady InternViews: Audrie Uphues

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experience.   Audrie Uphues is a fourth-year journalism student working with Georgia Football Creative […]

Sports Media students prepare for Women’s World Cup

Covering the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia would be a dream opportunity for most college journalists. For a group of University of Georgia sports media and visual journalism students, […]

Destiny Hartwell receives 2023 ESPN Scholarship via AWM Foundation

Destiny Hartwell, a journalism major and Carmical Sports Media Institute student from Statesboro, Georgia, recently received the 2023 ESPN Scholarship from the Alliance for Women in Media.  The scholarship is […]

Ryan Lavner: Staying the Course

Not everyone gets to live out their dream job, but for Ryan Lavner (ABJ ’09), being an Emmy award-winning golf writer seems to suit him pretty well. Augusta National. St. […]

Grady InternViews: DonA Traylor-Askew

Briefly describe your internship and your responsibilities: My internship was 10 weeks. I spent the first five weeks on Sportscenter and the second five weeks with NBA Today. I was […]

Vicki Michaelis receives Association for Women in Sports Media award

Vicki Michaelis, the John Huland Carmical Chair in Sports Journalism & Society and director of the John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute, is the recipient of the 2022 Ann Miller […]

John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute established at University of Georgia

Sports media education, already a signature program at the University of Georgia, is expanding with the establishment of the John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute. The Carmical Sports Media Institute […]

Apply

Gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become a successful sports media professional.