Notre Dame’s “What Would You Fight For?” series won a Sports Emmy for outstanding public service content in May. Each season, the series features six two-minute videos showcasing faculty and students’ research and achievements. The videos air during each home football game just before halftime.
Beth Grisoli, assistant vice president of strategic communications for the office of public affairs and communications, has overseen the series since 2009.
“The purpose of this series is to highlight the academic and research endeavors of our students and faculty and to show how Notre Dame fulfills its mission to be a force for good in the world,” Grisoli said.
Producing each video involves a multi-step process. Mike Cloonan, senior producer for the series and an NBC employee, explained that the team first conducts interviews with faculty, students and other relevant individuals. Next, they draft a script, which must be approved by Notre Dame and NBC.
Filming can take days, sometimes in remote locations.
“We’ve traveled to places like the Taj Mahal, the Roman Forum, and South Africa,” Cloonan said.
After filming, the NBC team edits the footage, and the final product undergoes several rounds of review before being shown to the featured individuals for approval.
The work continues even after football season ends, according to Tara McMullen, assistant producer and a Notre Dame alum.
“As soon as the last home game ends, we start looking for next year’s stories,” McMullen said, noting that some stories take years to fully develop.
Although the videos are just two minutes long, the production process generates much more footage than what appears on the stadium jumbotron. Cloonan explained that the unused footage serves Notre Dame’s development and marketing efforts, with some clips edited into shorter versions for social media or promotional events.
The team is also planning spin-off series titled “Still Fighting” and “Why I Fight,” set to launch this spring.
“This year, we’re really expanding and amplifying these phenomenal stories we feel just deserve wider audiences,” Grisoli said.
Grisoli and her team take pride in telling these stories, despite the challenges of production.
“To be able to be a part of sharing such good news is just a privilege,” Grisoli said.
Cloonan and McMullen echoed this sentiment, praising the opportunity to meet inspiring faculty and students.
“We all appreciate the chance to learn how Notre Dame is trying to make the world a better place,” Cloonan said.
The team was pleasantly surprised when they learned that the series had won the Emmy. Grisoli said the nomination came from NBC without her team’s knowledge.
“I was surprised because our colleagues at NBC entered it,” she said.
McMullen, who was traveling when she received the news, initially thought it was a joke. Cloonan happened to be on the football field when his phone “blew up” with messages.
The trio emphasized that the Emmy win was a collaborative achievement made possible through the combined efforts of Notre Dame, NBC and the University’s dedicated faculty, staff and students.
“I wish we could give [an Emmy] to everyone who has been in one of these stories,” McMullen said.
