ROSEBURG, Oregon – Playing and watching sports is a national pastime. The COVID-19 pandemic effectively put a stop to all sports. Athletic activities and events at Umpqua Community College (UCC) were also disrupted; even the UCC women’s basketball team was cut short of claiming the state title it deserved when the championship playoff games were canceled midstream.

Student athletes are used to very rigid schedules, so the uncertainty has been difficult, Craig Jackson, UCC’s Director of Athletics, said. Most of them are used to working out daily, so they suddenly found a need to be creative in the ways they can stay active.

As the plans for re-opening college sports begin to unfold, UCC is facing new challenges as in-person game viewing will be limited. Since fans will not be able to pack the stands anytime soon, the next best thing will be delivering the games into their homes.

The UCC Athletics Department was recently awarded a Funds for Innovation grant from the UCC Foundation. The funds will be used to deploy BlueFrame Technology™ in partnership with Northwest Athletics Conference (NWAC).
BlueFrame Technology™ will allow UCC to livestream RiverHawks sports on a variety of platforms including the NWAC Sports Network™ website and apps, Apple TV™, Amazon Fire TV™, Roku™ and more. Other features of BlueFrame Technology™ include instant replay and social sharing, which will offer an enhanced viewing experience and wider outreach to UCC fans.

We hope to utilize the technology for volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball and eSports, but [the list] could expand, as well, Jackson said.

Prospective and current student athletes see this investment as another reason to choose one college over another.

[Student-athletes] are always excited about the ability to deliver their contests to their families back home, Jackson said. Most of our student-athletes are from out of the area.

As UCC athletics programs have expanded in recent years, it is the right time for an investment through these grant funds to help navigate this challenging time. The innovative technology will give fans game viewing choices now and in the future. Plus, it will open up a way to expand the reach of UCC athletics moving forward.

About Umpqua Community College

Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities.

Contact

Craig Jackson
Director of Athletics
Phone: 541-440-7729

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