Buffalo State students broadcast live coverage during second NFL Draft Night

Buffalo State’s Communication Department and the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) hosted the second annual NFL Draft Night on April 24, offering students valuable real-world broadcasting experience. 

Groups of students enrolled in COM 403: Digital Sports Journalism announced the 2025 draft picks, discussed prospects for the Buffalo Bills, and analyzed the upcoming season. 

“This is one of the experiential courses in our revised journalism program,” said Deborah Silverman, chair of the Communication Department. “It gives students valuable experience in livestreaming events—skills critical not only for sports journalism, but also for other facets of journalism as well.” 

The event was livestreamed from Buffalo State’s Technology Building on the Buffalo Sports Insider (BSI) YouTube channel, where students and alumni from Buffalo State and Canisius University produce local sports content with industry professionals. The broadcast also featured an interview with professional sports broadcaster and alumnus Howard Simon, ’84. 

“I cannot emphasize enough how the students have benefitted from the broadcasters’ input and professional networking,” said Annemarie Franczyk, associate professor of communication. “The students are getting professional-level experience as undergraduates, and that will be to their advantage as they head out into the industry.” 

Franczyk said BBA has invested in specialized equipment for the program, that has helped create a professional-grade studio environment where students can hone their skills. COM 403 is one of the options in the “Professional Course in Sports Communication” requirement for the Sports Communication Certificate, which continues to grow in popularity among not only communication students, but also other majors across campus.  

Watch the full NFL Draft Night coverage and explore more student-produced content on the BSI YouTube channel.