Behind The Scenes

Little goes a long way for SportsCenter’s Harvard/Yale coverage

Previewing Saturday’s annual Harvard-Yale game, SportsCenter had personalities reporting from each school today providing all-access looks into the teams’ preparations. Boston-based reporter Michele Steele was at Harvard, while “New-Haven based” Sebastian Little – a tight end for the Bulldogs – provided live updates from Yale.

It builds a lot of excitement not just for me but everyone on campus. We don’t normally get the big networks coming here, so being part of ESPN is awesome. – Sebastian Little, Yale Tight End & SportsCenter “Correspondent

While the assignment was not unusual for Steele, it marked a rare opportunity for Little to perform in public without pads and a helmet.

Little, a junior Psychology major from nearby Cheshire, Conn., first reported from the Yale breakfast line, where he showed his appreciation to a server, then from his Media and Modern Medicine in America class.

“We take the student part of athletics very seriously here,” he said during his live hit from class.

Next he took viewers to lunch in Calhoun College with teammates Jamal Locke (freshman corner back from Ridgewood, N.J.) and Anthony Morales (junior quarterback, Cromwell, Conn.).

The SportsCenter coverage is a prelude to ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, which on Saturday will emanate from Dillon Quad on the campus of Harvard.

When SportsCenter decided to try the “student reporter” concept, news producer Jonathan Whyley approached Yale administrators, who volunteered the loquacious Little for the job. Feature producer Barry Abrams spent Thursday making sure his “reporter” and team were providing the same news and information as his counterparts at Harvard.

“It builds a lot of excitement not just for me but everyone on campus,” Little said. “We don’t normally get the big networks coming here, so being part of ESPN is awesome.”

Back to top button