Name: Mike Masson
Major: Journalism
Year: Senior
Hometown: Farmington Hills, Michigan
Job: Student Assistant for BTN
How did you score a job with Big Ten Network? How long have you worked there? The man in charge of the student program came in and spoke to one of my classes during my junior year, and it’s funny because I had been looking for a while to be apart of it, but could never find any contact information. So, I emailed him after that, applied and got the job. I’ve worked for him since September 2014, so a little over a year.
What has your experience been like with BTN? It’s been absolutely fantastic. From being a part of live productions of many smaller sports here at MSU, to helping out with football and basketball, there’s not a time at work where I’m not enjoying myself. And to be able to work with so many people who have the same interests and goals as I do just makes it all the more fun.
What do you plan to do after graduation in sports journalism? My end goal is to be on television or radio and talk about sports. At this point, I don’t really know what specific role that might be because it’s probably something that will fall in place down the road. As for right after graduation, I plan on applying to jobs as a sports reporter for a small newspaper or as a photographer for a TV station. But with this profession, I’m ready for anything to pop up at anytime, so I honestly have no idea where I’ll be in just a few months.
How has this job helped you better prepare for the field? This job, along with an internship I had for a few months, really gave me my first look into what the professional sports media world is really like. I have a pretty good grasp of how different aspects of sports media run, and what it takes to be successful in them. Also, I’ve been able to meet so many people out there who do this for a living, so it’s been a great way to network.
You have met Mark Dantonio and other big names in sports at MSU. What was that like? Besides actually going to and working big games and such, meeting the guys who are actually out on the field has been the best part about this job. Talking to guys like Mark Dantonio and Tom Izzo, and to actually meet them and see what they’re like off the field/court, it’s really great to realize that they aren’t just great coaches, they’re great people. Same goes for the players I’ve met. I met Kirk Cousins in the spring and he might be one of the nicest athletes I’ve ever met. It’s just really great to see how down to Earth they all are.
What was your all-time favorite experience that you would not have had if it weren’t for your job? It’s hard to pick one experience out of them all. If I had to choose it would probably be the first football game I worked which was the MSU vs. Oregon game in September of 2015. To be up in the press box, see how cool the stadium looked from up top and get a bird’s eye view of a great game was just awesome. On top of that, I actually told the founder of Nike where to get a hot dog, so, yeah that was kind of a big deal.