By Isaiah Iles
What once started as an X experiment in broadcasting on Cardinal sports is now a recurring show that fills everyone in on their athletics news for the week.
That show is The Cardinals’ Pulse, a student-created, student-centered sports podcast featured on Louisville Athletics’ social media accounts.
Much like other sports media, The Pulse reviews the University athletic events of the past week, including exclusive reports, interviews, and footage from these events. However, what separates the Cardinals’ Pulse from other sports media on campus is its crew made up almost entirely of students.
Max Ott, a senior anchor who’s been working on the show since its inception, says that “the students man all the positions. On the day of, the staff helps… but there’s some days when we are kind of running everything ourselves.”
All jobs are filled by students with a desire to learn more about the world of sports broadcasting and media creation. Not only are there students anchoring and reporting, but many students are also analyzing and compiling data, and making sure both audio and visuals are running smoothly throughout the episode.
The Pulse began last spring as another news outlet for U of L Athletics, having been posted on the Louisville Athletics’ X account nearly every week during the school year. Since its beginning, the growth in popularity of the show has led to an increase in student involvement.
“Students definitely notice it on [X] and they want to be a part of it. They buy in and say ‘I’m going to come in and shadow,’ not doing anything but just there to sit in and learn,” Ott said.
The work ethic and attention to the project is what makes the show so engaging for many, as Ott notes when discussing the perception of the show on X.
The show prides itself on covering a little bit of everything related to Louisville sports, from record-breaking swim and dive teams to both NCAA tournament-qualifying basketball teams. This praise of teams gives more representation to deserving student athletes, and is often what’s developed by the Cardinal Pulse team week by week.
“It’s important to cover all of the sports. Of course, it’s sometimes contingent on if the sport is doing well or not, [but] the good thing is the athletics are all really good right now,” Ott said.
The Pulse benefits not only the Louisville Athletics audience, but also the students involved. Opportunities like this for sports administration and communications students have been limited. Now, The Pulse provides a space for those students to get their feet wet in a professional environment.
Even Louisville athletes have asked to be a part of the Pulse, wanting to prepare themselves for a future career in sports broadcasting or administration. Ott shares a piece of advice for new members of the show: “If you make a mistake it’s alright… know it’s a really good opportunity to make those mistakes now and learn from them.”
At a school full of athletic success in a tough Atlantic Coast Conference, the Cardinals’ Pulse and its collection of dedicated students will continue to inform and excite all Louisville fans.
The Cardinal Pulse will continue to share news on athletics until the end of the semester and will start up again next fall.
