8th Annual Red Hawk Open – Virtual Edition – A Success!

Montclair State University’s 8th Annual Red Hawk Open – Virtual Edition was held on Monday, September 14. The program included updates from University leadership, visits from Rocky the Red Hawk, shout outs to our generous sponsors, highlights from Montclair State Athletics and a live raffle drawing.

While golfers may not have hit the links this year, the Montclair State community came together to raise over $56,000 for Montclair State Athletics. The golf outing is in its 8th year and benefits each of Montclair State’s 18 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s teams. Last year’s outing raised funds to create the Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN).

“We really like to thank you for your continued support. While this has been quite a unique year for all of us, it certainly has for college athletics. But we are excited as our teams are getting back out on the field, the court, the pool and on the track to start practicing this fall,” says Rob Chesney, Director of Athletics. “The staff and student athletes are looking forward to a very busy spring and it’s going to be a great thing.”

At a time when virtual opportunities are so important, your support keeps us online. This year’s outing takes the Red Hawk Sports Network to the next level.

The Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN) launched in the fall of 2019 and is a joint venture between the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media. The network covers all of the Red Hawks’ 18 varsity athletic teams, including live events through YouTube. The inaugural Red Hawk Sports Network team consists of two sports commentators: a play-by-play and color commentator and a production team that assists in producing the live stream for the games. Social media interns also help provide video and other content for the network. There are currently plans to bring in sideline reporters, sports analysts and other positions in later months.

The network will use state of the art equipment for their games. The school recently reached a deal with Pixellot, a sports-production company, to use its automated camera system to air the games. Pixellot’s innovative cameras have the unique ability to follow the action of the game using advanced auto production algorithms without the need for a camera operator. This allows for the cameras to automatically identify highlights, create replays and much more. It also automatically saves games to the cloud and can stream it live or on-demand. This system of sports production is typically only seen in Division I schools and professional sports.

Along with cutting edge technology, the school plans on expanding the network immensely in the future. Interviews, highlight packages, halftime shows, and much more are expected to be apart featured on the network as well. The RHSN is fully run by students, giving them experience in all aspects of sports journalism.

Representing the Red Hawk Sports Network, was junior Jack Barteck, a Television and Digital Media major with a concentration in Sports Media, who spoke about his experiences working with the Athletics program and School of Communication and Media. “My work with the Red Hawk Sports Network has been not only a great pleasure, but also a great learning experience. I am glad to have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of the organization at the Red Hawk Open,” says Barteck.

We would like to thank our Event, Platinum and Silver Sponsors:

• NJOI – New Jersey Orthopaedic Institute
• Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group
• Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center
• Goldman Sachs
• PSE&G
• Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli, Tipton & Taylor LLC

“The 8th Annual Red Hawk Open was a wonderful day for alumni and friends to come together virtually as a community to celebrate Montclair State Athletics,” says Jeanne Marano, Assistant Vice President for Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement. “The generous support of our outing sponsors and participants makes a positive impact in the lives of our dedicated student athletes and will help to grow the Red Hawk Sports Network.”

We invite you to view the recording of the virtual outing. Save the date for the 9th Annual Red Hawk Open on Monday, September 13, 2021!

For more information about how you can support Montclair State Athletics, please contact Kara Baldwin Brennan ’92, Director of Annual Giving, at 973-655-7492 or brennanka@montclair.edu.