River Roof Gains National Experience Through NCAA Grant

River Roof, a Communications and International Studies major in Roosevelt College at UC San Diego, has spent the past two years working with UC San Diego Athletics communications, gaining experience telling the stories of scholar-athletes across multiple sports. This summer, she was selected as one of two Division I recipients of the NCAA Inclusion CSC Convention Grant and was the only student nationwide to receive the honor.

Through the grant, Roof attended the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Convention in Las Vegas in June before traveling to the NCAA national office in Indianapolis in August. The experiences connected her with professionals across college athletics, broadened her understanding of the industry, and strengthened her confidence as she continues to pursue a career in athletics communications.

A National Opportunity

Roof first learned about the grant when Jeff Tourial, Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications and Broadcast at UC San Diego, encouraged her to apply. The grant was open to individuals with fewer than five years of experience in athletics communications at an NCAA member institution. Applicants were also asked to discuss how they incorporate diversity into their work.

Already interested in attending the CSC Convention, Roof submitted an application. After several months of waiting, she received a phone call confirming her selection.

Having completed her second year working in UC San Diego Athletics communications, Roof entered the convention with few expectations. Instead, she found a community of professionals who shared similar experiences, challenges, and goals.

The convention featured opportunities to learn from professionals representing collegiate and professional sports, athletics communications departments, and the NCAA national office. Roof was particularly inspired by a panel featuring members of the Las Vegas Aces media team, which highlighted the women working behind the scenes to shape the professional basketball team's media presence.

The discussions also offered new perspectives on storytelling and the importance of representing athletes across sports, including those who may not always receive the same attention as the biggest stars.

Hearing from professionals at different stages of their careers helped Roof recognize the similarities between her own experiences and those of other established athletics communications professionals. It also gave her greater confidence in the skills she has developed as a student.

The convention sparked ideas for her work at UC San Diego, reinforcing the value of creative storytelling and finding new ways to connect audiences with the people behind the performances.

Behind the Scenes at the NCAA

Less than two months after the convention, Roof traveled to Indianapolis for a three-day visit to the NCAA national office.

The trip provided a different perspective from her work at UC San Diego, where she works directly with teams and helps share their stories. At the NCAA, she saw how departments collaborate to support championships, member institutions, and athletes across the country.

Roof met with members of the media coordination and statistics department, as well as professionals in social media, inclusion, community engagement, digital media, and partnerships. Each conversation offered insight into the responsibilities and collaboration required to operate at the national level.

The visit also included attending an Indiana Fever game, where Roof met statisticians who work across professional and collegiate sports. Learning about their experiences and career paths offered another look at the range of opportunities available within the sports industry.

At the NCAA office, Roof was particularly struck by the connections between departments with seemingly different responsibilities.

Seeing how teams collaborated across areas of the organization gave Roof a greater appreciation for the work required to bring major events and initiatives to life. From social media content to championship operations, she learned how much planning happens behind the scenes, often months or years before an event takes place.

The experience expanded her understanding of athletics communications beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of working at a single institution. It also introduced her to potential career paths in conference offices, national organizations, and professional sports.

While Roof has not yet settled on a long-term career destination, the visit helped her envision new possibilities while reinforcing what initially drew her to the profession: the opportunity to work closely with athletes and share their stories.

Telling the Whole Story

At UC San Diego, Roof has continued to grow in her role, taking on greater responsibilities across multiple sports. After previously working with tennis and swimming, she expanded her assignments to include cross country and began helping with women's basketball.

Working across sports has allowed Roof to connect with different teams, understand their unique needs and share their accomplishments with broader audiences. It has also strengthened her appreciation for the stories that exist beyond competition.

For Roof, athletic communications is about more than documenting wins and losses. It is about helping scholar-athletes feel recognized for their accomplishments, identities and experiences outside their sports.

“Highlighting athletes’ performances and personal stories, including who they are beyond their sport, is just as important as showcasing what they accomplish in competition,” Roof said.

That philosophy is especially meaningful at a university where scholar-athletes balance collegiate athletics with demanding academic pursuits, research, leadership, and other experiences that prepare them for life after graduation.

Roof recognizes that athletes can sometimes feel their value is tied too closely to their performances. She believes storytelling can help broaden that perspective by highlighting the research, service, leadership, careers, and personal journeys that make each scholar-athlete more than their sport.

The convention reinforced her desire to continue developing as a storyteller and find new ways to showcase the people behind the performances. It also affirmed the value of the work she is already doing at UC San Diego.

As Roof continues to build her experience, she carries forward a broader understanding of the athletic communications profession and a renewed appreciation for the impact of meaningful storytelling.

Her goal is to help scholar-athletes feel seen, celebrated and valued for all that they are, both in competition and beyond it.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.