Meet Sam Anthony ‘19, an RMU alumnus who is an Associate Producer for the Big Ten Network’s B1G Today, where he recently produced his first
ever show. Sam’s path to the Big Ten Network came through hard work and networking and it was those connections that led to a new opportunity.

In 2015, Sam began his RMU journey as a business major who pictured a future in sales or event operations. Although Sam wasn’t a communications student, he found the drive to explore different areas — his curiosity and the encouragement from his professors led him to realize his career path.

“During my sophomore year, I worked for the football team as an equipment manager, but eventually, over time, I realized even though I was in the Sports Management department, my professors really pushed me to try a bunch of different things,” he said. “So, I did the Sports Media thing with RMU Sentry Media and RMU TV and I enjoyed it. I had a bit of a knack for it...”

By his sophomore year, Sam was producing Colonial SportsCenter, calling live hockey games, and had stepped into the role of Sports Editor for RMU Sentry Media. As a senior, Sam became the Digital Content Manager for RMU Sentry Media and managed an RMU student-run TV station, while he continued to lead coverage across multiple channels and platforms.

The experiences that Sam had at RMU produced unforgettable moments like traveling with RMU teams, covering NCAA tournaments, and building rapport and networks of peers and mentors that helped shape his path.

“I was at the NCAA tournament for women’s volleyball when they played Ohio State my freshman year, I was able to go to Louisville and watch RMU play in my senior year — just all sorts of great opportunities that would open the door to a lot of different things that I was able to do just because I got so much experience there.”

Sam attributes his success in standing out in a highly competitive job market after graduation to the hands-on experiences and valuable skills he gained — setting him apart from peers and colleagues from large, well-known universities.

“I work with a lot of guys that went to bigger schools… but you don’t really get the access like you do at Robert Morris,” Sam said. “You’re competing with a lot of national networks and channels and a lot more students. At Robert Morris, I was able to cover football games my freshman year…”

Sam spent three years reporting on the RMU women’s basketball team, building relationships with members of the team as well as a foundation for the ins and outs of sports reporting. And he didn’t stop there — he wanted to immerse himself in every part of the production process, both on and off camera.

“There are a lot of people who want to be on-air, but all they’re doing is being on camera… At Robert Morris, I’m not only on camera, I’m shooting interviews, I’m editing it, I had access to panning cameras, and if I wasn’t calling or covering a game, I’d be on the sidelines taking pictures — you learn to use all those assets.”

Made possible by RMU’s flexibility and trust in its students, that all-in mindset prepared him for the real world better than most traditional classroom settings could. During his time as a student, Sam was provided with opportunities both in front of and behind the camera, from on-field photography and video to graphics operator.

“If I had gone anywhere else, I don’t think I’d be working in this,” he said. “It would’ve been hard to say, ‘Hey, I want to try this,’ because there would’ve been more hoops to jump through. Going to Robert Morris was probably, career-wise, the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Sam has made stops in Charlotte and New York along his professional journey, but now, he lives in Chicago and is an Associate Producer for the Big Ten Network. He’s still pulling from the skills he developed at RMU in his current role, where his experiences cutting highlights for Colonial SportsCenter and creating graphics translates directly into building on-screen visuals and producing live studio content for broadcasts.

Sam also covered and watched the RMU Men’s basketball team in their most recent trip to March Madness and stated it was a cool experience.

“Listen, I was living and dying by every bucket and call in that game,” he said. “Then, you’re the one Robert Morris alum in the office and everyone’s saying, ‘C’mon man, you almost had it…’ and I love giving a little love to Robert Morris when I can…”

Sam says that the part of his job he enjoys most is being a part of the many historic moments that happen in sports.

“I think it is fun when things are happening fast and you have to react... It's a lot of being able to go on the fly and when you’re done with it you say, ‘Wow, this is really cool’ because you’re a part of that moment… you’re a part of telling that story… it’s a blast… I have so much fun with what I do everyday — I tell people, realistically, that I get paid to watch sports for a living…”

Sam also keeps in touch with many friends and fellow alumni from RMU.

“... I got a bunch of friends from Robert Morris that are coming up in July and I’m going to go show them Wrigley Field and we’re going to go around and see the city… it’s been a blast and Chicago is an unbelievable city…”

Finally, Sam also wanted to share some advice with alumni, current students, and the incoming Class of 2029.

“Always be willing to try new things… For students that are there now, just do everything...” Sam said. “... I did a lot on campus, but there were certain things I wished I had gone back and done… you have access to all these incredible cameras and resources that you can’t use when you’re out of school—You won’t have a TV studio at the palms of your hands… I look back now and think ‘there are so many things I’d do differently’ and that’s the whole point… there is a truth in the fact that if you go to a bigger school, you won’t have access to the resources you have at RMU…

I have so many close friends that are in these different industries because I was involved in everything… The other day, I was cutting a piece on UCLA Women’s Basketball and I needed footage on a UCLA player that didn’t play last year… lo and behold, Robert Morris Alum Haley Sawyer ‘15, who’s out in Los Angeles covering UCLA Women’s Basketball, had video that I was able to reach out and get from her, which is really fun having Bobby Mo alums helping each other out… literally do everything is what I’d tell people.”

It’s clear that Sam is living out his dream, but even as he lives out his dream in the fast-paced world of sports multimedia, he hasn’t forgotten where it all started. Sam says he’s proud to be an RMU alumnus and credits RMU and the connections he’s made with setting the stage for his success.

“Oh yeah, it’s great when you run into Robert Morris alums in the wild…” he said. “… I felt like I had great relationships with the professors and was able to build really great relationships with students that were there… It's very rewarding to see people from Robert Morris out here doing this stuff in the real world… I loved my time at Robert Morris, I really did — and it set me up for exactly where I’m at and that’s awesome.”