NCAAF

Logistics for College Football Awards show are this tandem’s specialty

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A television production as complex as The Home Depot College Football Awards (see sidebar for times and related programming) involves a large group of behind-the-scenes people, with the team assembled from within several areas of ESPN.

College Football Awards Coverage

Today (All times ET)

2:30 p.m.: College Football Live from BoardWalk (ESPN)
6 p.m. : Red Carpet Special at The Home Depot College Football Awards (ESPNU)
7 p.m.: The Home Depot College Football Awards (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Championship Drive: CFB Playoff Preview (ESPN)

Miranda Chattam and Lindsey Lloyd are two of the many ESPN staff members who won’t be seen on camera during the telecast tonight from Disney’s Boardwalk, but whose work helps keep things running smoothly before and during the show.

Chattam, a coordinating producer based at ESPN Regional Television in Charlotte, N.C., and Lloyd, a production manager at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., handle many of the logistics involved in the show.

“That includes everything from working with the award reps, the presenters, athletes, sports information directors [SIDs], to name just a few,” said Chattam, whose normal job during the year is helping oversee ESPN’s 90-person Management Operations team.

“Credentials, their schedules of when and where they need to be throughout the day,” she said. “Setting our production schedule with our directors and producers, pretty much all of the planning and coordination all the way through the show.”

We do all of this planning and preparation, and we get on-site, and five things could go differently than what we’d actually planned. That’s the interesting part about it.
Miranda Chattam, coordinating producer, on College Football Awards’ logistics

Lloyd, who has been a production manager on ESPN’s motorsports coverage for several years and is transitioning to college sports, coordinates arrangements for nominated athletes and their families, coaches and others who are traveling to Orlando for the show. One aspect that makes her job tougher is that the nominees aren’t revealed until about two weeks before the show.

“We try to prep everything as much as possible, but once the finalists are released, it’s quite a quick turnaround,” Lloyd said.

Both are in their second year working on the show.

“It’s definitely a change of pace, but it’s an event I love coordinating,” said Lloyd. “I enjoy the fact that I get to build such a strong relationship with all of the SIDs, which has quickly become a benefit in my transition to college football and GameDay.”

I enjoy the fact that I get to build such a strong relationship with all of the SIDs, which has quickly become a benefit in my transition to college football and GameDay.
Lindsey Lloyd, production manager, on working on College Football Awards after years with ESPN’s motorsports properties

Chattam enjoys the challenge, especially working through the myriad last-minute details, including this year’s addition of a news conference late this afternoon with the four coaches in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

“We do all of this planning and preparation, and we get on-site, and five things could go differently than what we’d actually planned,” she said. “That’s the interesting part about it – the unknowns, and trying to figure it out as you go but at the same time being prepared.”

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