ÌÇÐÄVlog

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Podcast: S9 Ep. 24
Date: September 01, 2026
Title: Four decades at ÌÇÐÄVlog through John Genuardi's lens | S9 Ep. 24
Host: John Rollins

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JOHN ROLLINS: Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄVlog Moment, where we showcase all the great things happening with ÌÇÐÄVlog faculty, staff, students, and alumni. I'm John Rollins, Associate Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs here at ÌÇÐÄVlog, and I want to welcome you all to this week's show. If you've driven down Highway 69 lately near the Spindletop Boomtown Museum, you've likely noticed the newest addition to the ÌÇÐÄVlog campus: our first ever video marquee. My guest today is John Genuardi, executive director of Big Red Productions, and someone who was instrumental in making that marquee become a reality. John, welcome to the ÌÇÐÄVlog Moment.

JOHN GENUARDI: Thank you.

JOHN R: Well, definitely glad to have you on the show today, and I know with your role, we were talking about this a while ago. You're very behind the scenes on campus, but you make a lot happen behind the scenes. So, let's go ahead and talk about. Let's start with the marquee, just because it's new and exciting, and kind of like how did that come about? What is the process for something like that, and what does that look like, kind of on the back end?

JOHN G: So actually, this was an idea of the president's. He’s done so much for the campus to beautify and to make it just more attractive for everybody. This was his idea. We ended up having to scout my department. We scouted around to find a place to put it, but the initial funding and everything came from the president and the president's office. We worked with a company, an outside company, to help us design and vet vendors to help us build. That was a pretty long process. We probably started that I'd say July of last year, and we actually really got the ball rolling probably April of this year, and boy, once that ball got rolling, it it rolled, kept on rolling, rolling. It went fast and went it went good.

JOHN R: Well, it's I will say it's very eye catching. I think y'all did your research, and it shows because when you drive past, it does it catches your attention, very visible. You can read it. I think y'all chose a really good location.

JOHN G: I was happy with the location. I actually didn't choose that. Somebody sent that to me, and I went and checked it. But I think you're right. I think it's in a great location. Yeah. It's  very visible from the highway coming either way. You know, you always wish you could get something a little bit bigger, but I think that this is just the right size. It's big enough to put out the information that we want to see, and it's  viewable. It's very viewable, and I agree. It looks beautiful. It is absolutely beautiful, and at night it's even better.

JOHN R: Now that's the one thing I haven't seen yet is nighttime. But even during the day, you can tell the red just is going to pop at night.

JOHN G: It is something else. The first when they first lit and and left it up, I got to come out and see it about 9:00 one night. I just stood and stared at it. It was amazing.

JOHN R: So awesome. Well, kudos to you, the team, the president, everybody who saw this vision to fruition because it is fantastic for Lamar.

JOHN G: Well, thank you. It was interesting. It was an interesting road.

JOHN R: Yeah, something different too would be on your day to day, right? Even though your day to day is very interesting, we're about to dive into that. So, but before we do get too far into the conversation, I want to obviously allow you to introduce yourself and tell the listeners and the readers a little bit more about you.

JOHN G: Alright, I'm John Genuardi. I've been with Lamar for 41 years. I started actually. I've been Lamar for 45 years because I went to school here. Yeah. I started out in media services. My my degrees in communication, radio, television, and film. I started out in media services as a photographer and as a videographer. After 10-11, years, I ended up in IT, which people just end up in IT. I don't know how that happens, and I've been in IT for the last 30 years. It's been a long road. It's been a fun road, but I've never wavered. We've been in here the whole time,

JOHN R: That's amazing. 41 years is pretty incredible. Honestly, in the time of you know people staying at jobs three years, five years, four decades is crazy.

JOHN G: It is, and you know I've read articles before that said on average everybody, everyone changes jobs at least three times, and and I feel like I may have cheated myself. I love it here, but I I don't know what else would could be out there. But then again, I don't know what else I would have wanted to do. This has just been a great ride.

JOHN R: Yeah, and you know what? I think the fact that after 41 or 45 years, technically right, at ÌÇÐÄVlog in some capacity, you're still not sick of the place. You know what I mean. You love what you do. You just said that.

JOHN G: I do.

JOHN R: That's pretty incredible, and that speaks for itself. Yeah. So that's fantastic. So you're obviously very visible at sporting events. I know when I go to baseball games, you're out there in the lawn chair next to the trailer. Yes. Kind of supervising, and then probably. In the trailer during the game, of course. So that's part of your job, which is Cardinal Sports Network. So let's go ahead and have you explain Big Red Productions first, and then Cardinal Sports Network, and kind of how the two work together and what what both of their roles are here on our campus.

JOHN G: So Big Red Productions is the all-encompassing broadcast group for the university, and it includes Cardinal Sports Network. So we're just we're still one family, we're one piece. But the Cardinal Sports Network takes care exclusively of all home broadcasts of sporting events. Now it doesn't cover everything when we were only covering football, basketball, soccer, softball, baseball, and volleyball at this time, and then the other side we just call it Big Red Productions. It's just the other piece. We actually are the responsible for graduation broadcast and convocation broadcast. Generally, any other presidential event that needs to be put out on any type of broadcast-that's what this group takes care of. They work together a lot. They mix and match a lot. So this is this is one cohesive group.

JOHN R: Yeah, and this is audio needs, visual needs. Absolutely. Think about commencement, especially what a huge undertaking for your team! Y'all keep us looking good, basically. Well, thanks. Looking good and sounding good.

JOHN G: We strive to always be the best. I'm selfish like that. I never want to never want to be second. I always want to be first. Always.

JOHN R: Well, I will say your team is very visible. You know, we do a lot of press announcements, ribbon cuttings. They're always there. We did a kickoff for Cardinal Champions last week and called Bruce over real quick. Bruce, I can't get the volume to work. You know, little things like that. That we're not in it every day like y'all are. So we need that team on our campus for sure.

JOHN G: Yeah, and that's this group has been real good about that. There's a lot of those facilities, a lot of those areas that that they ask us to come in and consult on, and that's why, so that we can come back after the fact and take care of those little issues.

JOHN R: Yeah, for sure. So let's go ahead. Let's dive a little deeper into Cardinal Sports Network because I know. Correct me if I'm wrong. It might just be the home games, but aren't we broadcast on ESPN+?

JOHN G: We are on ESPN+. Last year, I don't have the exact number, but I think that we broadcast 106 games last year throughout the the seasons. This includes football, baseball, base basketball, the whole the whole nine. But we strive to to keep that broadcast level at the highest possible quality that we can. I don't think a lot of people realize that we're do they're pushing this information out to ESPN, and and every single game that we we're doing it, we're putting it out there. Yeah, I feel like in the conference itself, we're the best. We're the best that they have. I told you I'm selfish. I always want to be number one, and the people that I brought in, I I vet them, and I want this to be absolutely perfect. And and nothing's ever absolutely perfect. Right. We put on a good show. It's it's worth seeing. It's absolutely worth seeing.

JOHN R: Yeah, you want to share quality content, and like you said, you're making sure that Lamar is putting out that that best product.

JOHN G: We want Lamar to look as good as we can possibly make them look.

JOHN R: Fantastic, and y'all are putting us basically exposure in front of a national audience. ESPN+. I mean, a lot of people may not realize that you could watch a football game from the comfort of your own home. Obviously, we want you in the stands as well. But you know, if you can't make it for some reason, definitely still check it out. Great quality content right there.

JOHN G: Another thing that we're adding this year is international broadcast. So okay, no, it's something the conferences ask us to do, but now we're going to be able to to broadcast worldwide, and we're really excited about that. Okay, and a little nervous, but we're really excited about that. No,

JOHN R: You'll rise up to the occasion. Look, y'all were probably nervous when the ESPN+ get rolled around, and look, look how that's going. So fantastic, and something unique, if I remember correctly, is that some of these are produced. They're obviously all produced in house, but sometimes it's by students as well.

JOHN G: And you know that that is one area that we really strive to to be strong in. It's still an area that we need a lot of help in. The students don't come as much as we would like them to. They're not they're not as readily available. The students that we get, we get really good quality. We will we love working with the students. As a matter of fact, one of my main folks working for me now came to me. An intern worked for me one semester, yeah. And when he graduated, we picked him up. "Stick around. We'd love to keep you.” Yeah, and and hopefully wherever he ends up, what he learns here, I hope takes him far. He's done a great job for me.

JOHN R: Yeah, it's great experience and another outlet for our students. To you know we have ÌÇÐÄVlogTV we have the radio station here KVÌÇÐÄVlog we've got the opportunities we just got to get the word out about it so let's say a student's reading about this right now or listening to this episode how would they get in contact with y'all if if that's something they want to pursue?

JOHN G: They can go to the Montagne Center Room 137, and talk to our folks there. They can email me or call me on the university. I'm in the book, and just talk to us about it. See if it's something they want to do. What we love to have happen is when we're producing a show. If somebody's interested, I'd like for them to come shadow, come look and see what we're doing. See if this is something they're interested in most of the people that we bring in. They see it. They get excited by it. They see the quality of the of the broadcast, the the high level of equipment that we have. We've got excellent equipment in in in the in our facilities, and and it gets them excited, and they want to come and and work with us. There's a few that look at it and are intimidated, but you know it's always going to be, and that's okay. I like for them to come see. I want them to see it.

JOHN R: Just come check it out. And that is 137. You said in the Montagne. I call it the control room. Is it really what it's called? Okay, it's the control room. Awesome. So, but we even when you walk past and you just look through the window, it's incredibly impressive.

JOHN G: We did that for a reason. Originally, that that room was closed up, but we decided that we were putting so much into this room that we needed for people to be able to see what we're doing. We wanted to make it a showplace. We we're proud of what we're doing. We're proud of what we've done. We we are just excited by it, and we want all that. We want everyone to be excited by it.

JOHN R: Yeah, and it sounds like it's working. You know, about a year ago, I had one of your staff members on the show, and he mentioned that even sometimes the opposing teams will comment and come in and want a tour of that room. So, so I think it's serving its purpose.

JOHN G: And when I get that, if I get a president from another school or a media person from another school come and ask me to walk through, I don't care what's going on. I'm walking through. It's probably not always a great idea right before broadcast, but I'll do it because I want them to see what we've got.

JOHN R: That's got to be the ultimate compliment, right? Absolutely. You're like we're about to play you on the court, but yeah, I'd love to show you our amazing. You know, I feel like we're  selling y'all a little short because you're involved with a lot more. I think of like the jumbotron, the what is the at the baseball field, the video board. Aren't y'all involved with all that, right?

JOHN G: Yeah, actually, we were instrumental for installing the new video board for football, the video boards, all the video boards in the arena, and the video board at baseball. All and the upkeep on those, we take care of all that. I am so proud of of all of those facilities. That's one of those things I never thought that I could pull off, and and I didn't do it. I just helped in those facilities. My only solo was the marquee, but just being part of building those those out and and being part of keeping those running-it's just-it's amazing.

JOHN R: Yeah, and that's those are important parts of any college campus. But you're building that fan experience. You're enhancing visually what's going on here, I mean, it's just across the board, awesome for the student athletes, great for our university. So, alright, so we got a couple of minutes left, so let's just really quickly. I thought I'd ask this one more time, just so it's out there for for everyone who's taking part in this episode, whether they're reading or listening. So, ESPN Plus, we talked about that we're a part of that. You can find Lamar Athletics, especially the home games, on there. How can folks gain access to that? I guess

JOHN G:  If you have the the ESPN app, just go to Watch, and in Watch, if you'll search for Lamar, it'll show you whatever's currently coming up. Now, this is going to include all the home games that we produce, but it'll also be the away games so that you can watch those also. So you'll be able to keep up with the Cardinals no matter what we're doing, football, baseball, everything.

JOHN R: Yeah, that's fantastic. Well, it's good to hear too the away games. You know, sometimes when we make it a bit further, these championships and. Which we want more of, right? Absolutely. Not everybody can drive three hours, four hours.

JOHN G: No, I agree. And we want people in the stands. The fan experience is the most important thing, right? But if you need to watch the games, watch them. They're available to you.

JOHN R: We appreciate the support, no matter what capacity that's in, right? So, John, thanks again for joining me. Thanks for pouring over four decades into ÌÇÐÄVlog. I mean, that's no small feat for sure.

JOHN G: It went fast.

JOHN R: Well, you're definitely a staple around here. So we're  glad to have you, and thanks for the legacy you've created here, especially this video marquee man, just fantastic. So thank you. Alright, folks. That's a wrap on another episode. To catch the ÌÇÐÄVlog stories just like John's, be sure to search ÌÇÐÄVlog Moment wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with the events, activities, programs, and people right here at ÌÇÐÄVlog. This is John Rollins, your host. Thank you for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.