High school football is bigger in Texas with FOX Sports Southwest
SAN ANTONIO - In Texas, there's nothing bigger than high school sports, especially when it comes high school football.
So it makes sense that FOX Sports Southwest is enhancing its already successful FOX Football Friday powered by Dave Campbell's Texas Football coverage this upcoming season, starting with this year's Texas High School Coaches Association Convention.
"Nobody cares about high school sports in this media, in this market like (FOX Sports Southwest)," Adam Hochfelder, President of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, said. "We're thrilled to be a part of it."
FOX Sports Southwest made sure to make their presence known with its massive booth at the front entrance of the main hall at this year's convention, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. FOX Sports Southwest Girls Kaime and Liddy where on site signing photos while a camera crew inteviewed numerous high school football coaches from around the state.
"We're really, really pumped to be a part of such an exciting time for FOX Sports Southwest and Football Friday," Kaime said.
Even 'Cleatus the Robot', the official mascot of FOX NFL Sunday, showed his appreciation for Texas high school sports by making an appearance to the delight of everyone in attendance.
Former NFL coach Wade Phillips with Cleatus.
In between coaches' lectures, among the booths of vendors and brands showing off their sporting goods and workout equipment, FOX Sports Southwest unveiled its DQ Big Game of the Week schedule during the convention. The network also announced plans to supplement its weekly high school football coverage with the help of student correspondents from high school journalism programs recruited by Texas Football working with the UIL.
"Its going to be a lot of fun getting these kids involved, and an opportunity to really let them shine and showcase their skills at a young age," Greg Trepper, managing editor of Texas Football said.
ICYMI: our DQ Big Game of the Week schedule is out! Which game are you most excited about this season? #TXHSFB pic.twitter.com/6e0G9LqxJx
— FOX Sports Southwest (@FSSouthwest) July 22, 2014
With high school football being such a big deal in Texas, it is necessary to get as much help as possible to bring the best overall Friday night experience to viewers.
"This state is huge," Hochfelder said. "On any given Friday there are six, seven hundred football games being played, which is amazing to think about, and we want to get content from all of them if it is possible."
One of the most important aspects of the convention for FOX Sports Southwest was recognizing the winning team from Baylor University of Laura Cade, Alexa Charpentier, Daniel Knight, and Collin Simpson from the FOX Sports University program.
Baylor students (from left to right) Knight, Cade, Charpentier, and Simpson are the winning team of the FOX Sports University program.
The program, developed by FOX to connect creativity and education with a real-life marketing and sponsorship project, partnered FOX Sports Southwest with Baylor's Sports Sponsorship and Sales (S3) Program to create a concept to promote the network's Texas high school sports programming.
"Most of us grew up in Texas, we know first hand the craziness that surrounds high school football here," Cade said. "We are really honored that our campaign was chosen as the winner."
FOX Sports University team winners from Baylor with Dave Campbell of Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
The four-student team was selected at the conclusion of the 2013 fall semester after presenting their winning campaign - The Future of Football Starts Here - to FOX Sports marketing executives. The group experienced first hand the intensity of high school sports in Texas after attending the convention before seeing their ideas brought to life in a promotional shoot by FOX Sports Southwest's creative team.
"We were just honored that our ideas, our campaign was chosen," Cade said. "We never thought when we won that we would be here today. We're so pumped to see our commercial being shot, our campaign on TV."
Simpson with high school football coach Phil Danaher of Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas.
When it comes to FOX Sports Southwest's presence at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention, it can be summed up just one way according to Cade:
"Texas high school football is more than just a sport here. It's a religion."
View of the main hall at the THSCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
