By Jordan Beech
Children around the nation grow up with the dream of someday standing in front of the camera and providing updates on the latest sports news, dissecting the plays of a championship game and contributing to the local and national sports discussion. However, while most of those dreams fade, Mason Prince, a senior at the University of Oklahoma who is majoring in broadcast journalism, has made that dream a reality.
In recognition of his efforts, the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association recognized him as the Newscaster of the Year.
Entering his senior year, Prince was aware of the OBEA and its awards, but chose instead to keep his head down and work to improve his craft. The Gaylord College of Journalism’s professors, however, knew he had a chance for recognition and entered him in the competition.
“I was so focused on getting all my stuff taken care of and doing the best job that I could for Gameday U and Sooner Sports Pad,” said Prince. “I never thought about getting awards. My professors entered me in the competition because they thought I’d do well.”
Photo provided by Prince.
However, they surprised him when they entered him in the overall Newscaster of the Year competition as opposed to the sports sub-category. His efforts, charisma and talents across multiple shows of varying formats ultimately led him to achieve the distinction.
Prince has always been surrounded by sports growing up. During his high school days, he played football for the Jenks Trojans. However, from an uncle who serves as the assistant sports editor of the Tulsa World, to serving as the play-by-play announcer for Jenks-area sixth grade football games, Prince has always found a way to develop his love of sports and his talents for broadcasting.
“My uncle is the assistant sports editor for the Tulsa World. He’s a big influence on me and he’s like my big brother. I originally got into journalism because I liked what he did and I wanted to do what he did,” said Prince about his background in sports coverage. “I remember when I was five years old watching John Madden and Brent Musberger and thinking that’s what I wanted to do.”
Since graduating from Jenks in 2011, Prince has found himself immersed in televised sports while studying at OU. What started out as an anchor spot on OU Nightly in his sophomore year eventually led to opportunities to host two additional shows, Sooner Sports Pad and Gameday U.
“Sooner Sports Pad is a show I started hosting this past fall, and it’s a show that airs live on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Southwest. We air nationally in six different states, but are also shown in all 50 states on Fox College Sports Network,” explained Prince. “Gameday U is something me and a graduate assistant started this past year. We saw a need for a pregame show and we thought that people would enjoy it since it’s tailor-made for OU.”
While Prince won an award himself, it speaks volumes to the development and professionalism instilled by the journalism school that both Sooner Sports Pad and Gameday U placed first and third respectively in the sports show category of the OBEA’s competition. Developing an award-winning broadcast was not without its challenges though.
“Gameday U was put on by me, three student panelists, a producer/director and two cameramen, and we sometimes struggled to have people take us seriously,” said Prince about developing a new student-run program. “We paid our own way to make that show happen and it’s great that the school wants to help next season with funding. We went to every game, press conference and practice that we could on our own dime because we loved what we were doing and we love OU.”
Just like with any activity that takes hard work and dedication though, it did have its perks. His live pregame show afforded Prince and his crew the opportunity to tour the Big XII’s various campuses and see a large portion of the country. Of all the trips though, the trek to Morgantown, W.Va., stood out the most.
“West Virginia was really cool because I’m Oklahoma born and bred and I’ve never really been farther than the Midwest,” Prince said about the trip. “We spent 18 hours in the car with the Gameday U crew and that’s definitely how you get to know some guys. West Virginia is absolutely beautiful!”
Through it all, Prince had his parents there to support him. There are numerous the highs and lows that come with being a college student, especially one so busy with extra-curricular activities such as involvement with the OU chapter of Delta Tau Delta, never mind the challenging course load. Prince, however, has found a greatly appreciated support system in his family.
“You get told every day how hard the market is to break into and how competitive it is, but my parents constantly urged me to stick with it and kept me focused,” expressed Prince. “I’ll never forget them for it.”
Prince will graduate in December of 2015 with his bachelor’s degree from one of the top journalism schools in the nation. From there, he hopes to catch on with a television station in his native Tulsa area while he continues to develop his skills. Ultimately, he’d like to work in the Northeast where he could fulfill his dream of covering Boston-area sports.
After such an award, Prince has remained humble. He’s well aware that the award is not only a reflection of his own work, but that of the entire crew. He has been quick to express his gratitude to those that have helped him excel and reach new heights this year.
“The award was for me, but I got a lot of help from the crew at Gameday U and OU Nightly,” explained Prince. “It wouldn’t have happened without Zach Sepanik. He’s by far the biggest asset I’ve ever had. He was our producer for Gameday, got all the funding and made all the travel plans. This award wouldn’t have happened without Zach and I’ve made sure to tell him that.”