HawkVision Brings Fans Closer to the Action

PHOTO: Tyler Strand Carolyn Lyon James (89BA), left, is one of three replay operators who have only a few seconds to find the best view to show fans on the video boards after a play. The pressure ramps up when a play is under review as they try to quickly determine what aspect of the play is in question and find the camera angle that confirms or contradicts the head official’s initial call.

At times, a Hawkeye home football game comes to a halt with a brief statement from the head official.

The previous play is under further review.

While the announcement signals a lull in the action at Kinnick Stadium, the HawkVision main control room deep within Carver-Hawkeye Arena buzzes with activity. Trisha Stortz (11BAS, 15MA), director of HawkVision, oversees the operations from the back row of a dimly lit room that’s aglow from the light of a dozen large screens on the wall and more than 20 monitors. Upon the official’s announcement, she and her colleagues must answer their most pressing questions as quickly as possible: What are they reviewing? What are the best angles we have of it?

Next to Stortz, three replay operators have approximately four seconds to find the best view to show fans what happened on the video boards. With 14 angles to choose from, they must anticipate which feeds will work best as a play unfolds. A high, wide-angle view from the closest end zone is their safety net and a staple they use to offer a comprehensive view of the action. The challenge is finding an up-close angle that gives fans an optimal view of the play. “That’s the fun part, to see if we can find the shot that either backs up or contradicts what the ref said,” says Carolyn Lyon James (89BA), a HawkVision crew member.

PHOTO: Tyler Strand Game day director Jim Berg (87BA) has a front-row seat to 14 camera angles in the HawkVision control room deep within Carver-Hawkeye Arena. From the “Back in Black” tunnel walk to special guest appearances on the field, Berg brings fans closer to the action by cueing up the best views for the Kinnick Stadium video boards.

HawkVision’s 21-member team manages the content shown on Kinnick’s video boards, ranging from hype videos and highlight reels to sponsor ads and fan prompts. While their space and technological capabilities have expanded since moving from Kinnick to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in August 2025, their distance from the stadium requires more preparation for game day. Capturing classic moments like the Hawkeyes’ pregame tunnel walk to AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” which occurred just steps away from their previous location, requires practice and planning along with headset communication. Utility staff help a camera operator navigate walking backwards down a winding, sloping tunnel while keeping the camera steady on the players in front of them. Additional staff outside the tunnel ensure the cables routing from the camera to the field are kept out of harm’s way, while an engineer is on call at the stadium to assist.

Back in the control room, game day director Jim Berg (87BA) sits at a switcher up front with a script resting atop rows of glowing buttons. He shifts his focus between multiple screens, switching camera angles and cueing up the next promotion on the video boards. He calmly juggles questions in the room and requests from athletics marketing director Brian Clarke, confirming camera angle locations for the replay operators and communicating last-second script changes to the graphics operator.

Can I get the Shelter [Insurance] graphic, please?

Oh, Kirk’s Kids first… Ok, let’s do Kirk’s Kids first.

Berg and camera operator Jason Armstrong have worked 29 seasons with HawkVision, highlighting the longevity of a tight-knit group that’s comprised mostly of freelancers. HawkVision’s new space, which includes a secondary control room for students working on StudentU productions for Big Ten Plus, allows for additional growth in the future as the team continually looks for ways to enhance their production.

PHOTO: John Emigh Major network camera operators use gyroscopically stabilized sport lenses to keep a designated subject, like the quarterback, in focus as they zoom in or out or pan across the field. They share their camera feeds with HawkVision to use in its own video board production. This operator uses a handwritten cheat sheet attached to his camera with key player names, positions, and numbers to help him quickly find his next subject after receiving a new assignment via headset from the TV production truck.

While the HawkVision staff enjoy an unparalleled view of the game with practically every angle available that a fan could want, they rarely have the time to experience it like one. That’s why Stortz fondly remembers a moment their black-and-gold fandom came out. As former Iowa kicker Keith Duncan (20BS, 21MA) lined up for a 33-yard field goal against previously unbeaten Michigan in 2016, a HawkVision engineer stood up and captured a video of the control room exploding in celebration as Duncan’s walk-off winner sailed through the uprights.

“That moment was one of the [few] times our control room really celebrated a huge win together,” says Stortz. “HawkVision is a really fun group of people who enjoy working together and are really passionate about Iowa athletics.”

PHOTO: Caleb Saunders CBS Sports parks its production trailers outside Kinnick Stadium days in advance as its crew prepares for game day coverage. The major network offers viewers numerous camera angles, including a sky cam, pylon cam, and aerial drones. HawkVision can access any of the CBS camera feeds for its video board presentation throughout the game.

UI Athletics Creative Media Team Delivers Award-Winning Content

PHOTO: John Emigh Drew Kocken, assistant director of football branding and creative media, prepares to attach a baseplate to his camera, so it can be mounted onto a gimbal. The motorized, pivoting stabilizer allows him to run or walk next to a player while keeping a steady shot, creating opportunities to add another layer of motion to the shot. The creative team travels with Allen wrenches and flatheads to make adjustments like this or take care of any mechanical issues that occur in real-time. Says Little: “We’re pretty quick to find solutions because we have a lot of creative problem solvers on our team.”

PHOTO: John Emigh The creative team has five fixed-position cameras, including in the Hawkeye team box among the players, along each end zone and sideline, and in the press box. Student staff typically roam the stands and shoot fan perspective highlights. The team’s footage is primarily used for social media and video board content, shared with broadcast partners, and can take on a second life in sponsored content. Each team member condenses their footage down to around 100 clips.

PHOTO: John Emigh One way to notate a great video is to film a ‘dead clip’ with just a black frame or shot of the scoreboard, making it easier to find in post-production. Little says a great video can take many forms, whether it’s a big moment in the game, a unique perspective on an average play, or a detail shot of weather that adds another layer of depth. Says Little: “A great shot is the emotion that it evokes, whether that feeling is caused by the clip itself or if it adds to a feeling when put in a larger piece of work.” The photographers don’t need to shoot dead clips as they can wirelessly transmit their favorite photos with the push of a button on their camera.

PHOTO: John Emigh UI Athletics Creative Media photographers like Stephen Mally typically shoot with two to three cameras during a Hawkeye football game day. This allows them to quickly switch between subjects that are near and far. Says videographer Matt Little (19BA, 19BBA): “That in itself is its own skill set—being able to swing between one or the other and knowing when to bail and when to go to the next focal length.”

PHOTO: John Emigh Brian Ray (02BA) is one of up to five of the UI Athletics Creative Media team’s photographers at each football game. Each photographer has assigned equipment and shooting locations as the team prepares for planned photo opportunities like pregame recognitions and adapts for unpredictable situations like a game-winning field goal. The team communicates on assignments in the days leading up to the game, at halftime, and throughout the event, so they can capture multiple angles of key moments.

PHOTO: John Emigh Dalton Conrad (17BA) is one of the UI Athletics Creative Media team’s eight videographers who shoot on game day. The team arrives at Carver-Hawkeye Arena four hours before kickoff and brings smaller camera equipment to the stadium by golf cart. They continue working up to three hours after the game ends, uploading content and condensing footage.

PHOTO: John Emigh At halftime, the video team reviews its first-half content to get a head start on postgame work. They consider who captured the best angle of a key moment and whether to send a standalone clip to the social team. Says Little: “We have different broadcast rights where we can’t just post an in-game highlight during the TV window. But I can get something out to our social team, so they have it ready right after the game.” The team also uses intermission to discuss second-half shooting responsibilities with student staff.

PHOTO: John Emigh Matt Little outfits a camera in rain gear, using a lens he calls the video team’s workhorse and a shooter’s dream for covering the entire length of the field with its range in focal length. The entire setup can weigh between 35 to 40 pounds, and Little uses a fireman’s carry to hustle down to the opposite end zone between quarters. Adding weather gear can make it difficult to see an image on a camera monitor or adjust settings on the camera body. “You’re working through a layer of not being able to see your camera,” says Little. “It just slows you down; those extra 10 seconds can add up, and it might change how you shoot the game. You probably don’t take as big of creative swings when you’re in an environment like that.” On the flip side, Little says heavy rain or snow can add to the storytelling experience and make the footage look extra dramatic.

PHOTO: John Emigh Brian Ray reviews, marks, and edits some of his favorite pregame photos from the Hawk Walk. The UI Athletics Creative Media team works in a hallway near the Iowa football locker room and uploads all its edited content by Monday. Says Little: “It’s exciting getting to see everyone else’s work as they come back.”