Butler Institute for Sports and Entertainment

Building the Future of Women in Sports Media at Butler

Building the Future of Women in Sports Media at Butler

B-AWSM executive board. From left to right: Kayla Wright, Reilly Bryon, Julia Veres, Ella McGrath, Kamile Wilson, Gaby Whisler, and April Kirts.

Welcome to a special guest post by Dr. Cynthia Chen, an Assistant Professor of Sports Media in the College of Communication (CCOM) focused on Women in Sports Media .

The efforts explained below are inspired by the national organization of Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM). This fledgling student group plans to apply for and earn the opportunity to become an official chapter in the future. To prepare for that application, the group is currently registering as a student organization at Butler and developing programming that aligns with AWSM’s mission and values. 

The Origin Story: B-AWSM (Be Awesome)

I started teaching at Butler during the pandemic. As a new professor, I expected challenges but one thing, at times, caught me off guard—I was the only woman in the classroom. The number of women studying sports media, and interested in working in sports, continues to grow at Butler, but it didn’t start that way.

At the time, it made sense, statistically, that sports media would attract more male students but I didn’t fully grasp the gender gap until this experience. Because of social distancing, students signed up for smaller groups and chose specific lecture days for discussion. As a result, I was often the only woman present. And when I wasn’t, there still were only two or three women total.

As I got to know our students better, more women shared their experiences and a common theme emerged: they needed a community.

That’s why we started B-AWSM (Butler’s Association for Women in Sports Media). The club successfully launched this fall, attracting 41 students within just two months, with nine elected to the executive board. The rapid growth proved that the demand was real—female students wanted a space to connect, support one another, and grow together.

The Right Time & The Right Place

From left: Cybill Stillson ’26, Jia Skrudland ’26, Eva Hallman ’26, and Gaby Whisler ’26 during some of their sports internships.

B-AWSM’s launch couldn’t be more perfectly timed. Women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth in viewership records, and athletes like Caitlin Clark, of the local Indiana Fever WNBA franchise, are becoming household names. Indianapolis has positioned itself to become the capital of women’s sports, and Butler, with the newly minted Butler Institute for Sports & Entertainment (BISE), sits right in the middle of it all.

Indy’s sports organizations, including the Fever, Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Eleven, NCAA, Indiana Pacers, and more, offer incredible opportunities for students ready to gain real-world experience. Some examples of this with current seniors include:

Eva Hallman ’26 is the first woman broadcaster for the Indy Fuel. Cybil Stillson ’26 was one of only four interns selected from approximately 2,500 applicants for Football Operations with the Colts. Jia Skrudland ’26 and Gaby Whisler ’26 secured internships at Big Ten Network and the Chicago Cubs, further exploring different career paths. 

Their advice? “Take advantage of Indianapolis. The opportunities are right here.”

Trailblazing Alumni


From left: Alumni Marisa Guisti ’23 (Account Executive, Ticket Sales; Milwaukee Bucks) and Kelly Hallinan ’21 (Sports Anchor/Reporter, NBC 26 – Green Bay) at work.

Butler graduates are already making their mark in the sports industry — paving the way for future B-AWSM members to follow. Some of these alum include:

  • Sarah Myer ’06, Chief of Staff & Strategy, Indiana Sports Corp
  • Patricia Mays ’93, Instructor, Quinnipiac University; Former Executive Leader at The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN and The Associated Press
  • Olivia Kremer ’19, Associate Director of Event Marketing, Pacers Sports & Entertainment
  • Taylor Harmon ’21, Manager, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp
  • Kelly Hallinan ’21, Sports Reporter, NBC 26
  • Kennedy Broadwell ’21, In-Arena-Host, USTA Midwest
  • Marisa Guisti ’23, Account Executive, Milwaukee Bucks 
  • Grace Worcester ’25, Mascot Social Media Coordinator, Indianapolis Colts

Looking Ahead

As the club grows, plans are underway for expanded programming that will offer social, educational, and professional development opportunities. Currently, we are planning a trip to Atlanta’s thriving sports media hub in the spring of 2026. We also aim to become an official chapter of AWSM, providing additional scholarships, internships, and networking opportunities for students. The goal isn’t just to support individual students—it’s to build a generation of women who are ready to lead and shape the future of the sports and sports media industries. 

To our alumni: YOU are our inspiration, and B-AWSM will always be your home. To current and future students: YOUR community is waiting. B-AWSM is more than a resume line—it’s proof that you don’t have to navigate this path alone.

CCOM’s Circle City Sports Intersection

CCOM’s Circle City Sports Intersection

Indianapolis is known in some circles as “Sportstown, USA.” Butler and CCOM have taken to the spirit of this nickname and here are just a few recent examples on how they are intertwined.

Welcome to Sports Town! visiting the Indiana Fever in August.

New Student Experience 

For the last several years, during orientation and before classes start for the Fall term, Dr. Lee Farquhar and Prof. Nick White have provided a carefully curated experience for students who want to learn about the rich sports ethos of Indianapolis. Dubbed, “Welcome to Sports Town!” students visit the NCAA offices, LIDS offices, kiss the bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, get VIP tours of Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and more. What a way to start your Butler career!

From left: Kelly Hallinan, Ethan Polak, Lexi Schell, and Grace Harahan.

CCOM and the NFL  

Five students representing every department in CCOM recently worked in or in association with the NFL and its teams (if we missed anyone, PLEASE let us know!):

  • Kelly Hallinan ’21 (Sports Media) covered the Green Bay Packers opening wins over the Detroit Lions in week 1 and the Washington Commanders in week 2 at Lambeau Field for NBC 26 in Green Bay as sports anchor/reporter. 
  • Ethan Polak ’24 (Sports Media; Strategic Communication) worked his first regular season game, vs. the San Francisco 49ers, at Lumen Field as a communications intern with the Seattle Seahawks as part of a full-time internship for the 2025-26 season. 
  • Grace Harahan ’25 (Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences) started her rookie season as 2025 Ben-Gal cheerleader when the Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Jacksonville Jaguars with a game-winning touchdown with only :18 seconds remaining at Paycor Stadium for their home opener on Sunday. 
  • Lexi Schell ‘ 23 (Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences) started her third season as an Indianapolis Colts cheerleader, doing her part to activate the fans in Lucas Oil Stadium during the 33-8 season-opening win over the Miami Dolphins and a walk-off 29-28 win in week 2 versus the Denver Broncos.
  • Michael Terzakis ’24 (Sports Media) is now getting paid to watch NFL games. In his seasonal role with the League Office in New York, Michael is a Game Statistics Support Assistant in Information Technology. He uses the NFL GSIS and NFL Vision software to ensure statistical accuracy per NFL league rules, coordinating with in-stadium crews to deliver reliable data to partners and media.

ESPN+  

Thanks to the new Big East media deal, our Butler Sports Live student crews are able to showcase their talents on ESPN+. Under the tutelage of Prof. Nick White, also GM of BSL, students are scheduled to produce more than a dozen Butler athletics events for the media outlet. These include men’s and women’s soccer and women’s basketball and is a great experience and resume boosting opportunity for these talented Sports Media students.

Indianapolis, Sports, and Entertainment. Another stop on the Welcome to Sports Town! experience.

MS in Sports Management  

This Fall, CCOM launched its latest graduate program, a MS in Sports Management. The program has charged out of the starting gate, with 26 students in the inaugural cohort, and an estimated 40+ students expected to join the program this academic year. It’s a terrific experience  in terms of courses and the opportunities it provides to connect with professionals in the industry from Indy and beyond.

Butler Institute for Sports and Entertainment  

Butler’s latest cross-college enterprise, the Butler Institute for Sports and Entertainment (BISE), launched this summer. It already has provided 20 students the experience working at the LIV Golf tournament in nearby Hamilton County, where more than 60,000 people attended, setting a new attendance record for the league’s U.S. events. Read more about BISE’s impact in this AXIOS article.

More recently, just last week more than 20 current students, faculty, and staff teamed up to volunteer at the first ever TEDSports Indianapolis event. With almost 100 students already indicating interest in working with BISE on future events, this Institute is a model for campus-community connection with local sports teams and entertainment venues, Indiana Sports Corp, Downtown Indy, Inc., Visit Indy, and more. 

From left: Owen Priscott, Linda Rheinstein, TEDSports speaker and Founder & CEO of the Space Games Federation, Kaitlyn Buckley, and Max Haley.

So, what does sports buy Butler and CCOM……the answer is it “BISE” us and our students special opportunities and one-of-a-kind experiences from production of live games to large scale events to the thrill of victory. Go Dawgs!