Behind the Lens: A Woman’s Journey in College Sports Videography

College game day looks different when you're behind the camera. For many, it's the roar of the crowd, the rush of the buzzer-beater, the Instagram highlights that drop seconds after a slam dunk. But for me—and a growing number of women in college sports videography—it’s also tripods hauled across bleachers, editing sessions that stretch into the early hours, and navigating a field where female creatives are still the exception.

Breaking into the Locker Room (Metaphorically)

Videography in college athletics has long been male-dominated, especially in high-speed sports like football and basketball. There’s no official playbook for how to “be heard” when you’re the only woman in the production room—or how to defend your creative vision when your perspective is treated like a novelty.

What started as a passion for sports and storytelling quickly became a masterclass in resilience. Every press pass earned, every highlight reel delivered under pressure—it’s more than content. It’s proof I belong.

Budgets, Backing, and the NIL Effect

The NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era has rewritten the script for athletes—but it’s impacted creatives, too. Athletic departments are reallocating resources toward player branding and high-profile coaching hires, often leaving creative teams underfunded and overstretched.

Women in these departments may feel this even more acutely. We're less likely to be in decision-making roles where budgets are set and more likely to wear multiple hats without enough support.

We want to tell better stories, capture sharper footage, elevate athletes' brands—yet we’re often patching together outdated equipment or racing through post-production with limited resources.

The Tech Tidal Wave

Today’s tools are smarter, faster, and more demanding: 4K mirrorless cameras, drones, gimbals, and editing software that’s constantly evolving. Keeping up is a full-time sprint.

I recently dropped over $6,000 on new gear—while I’m still driving a 2005 Prius held together by duct tape and lacking A/C. Glamorous, right?

But here's the truth: being a woman in this space means proving you can operate every rig, troubleshoot under pressure, and haul heavy gear without hesitation. Because falling behind isn’t an option.

Not Just a Seat at the Table—A Voice

This is an era of opportunity. Women are no longer just shooters or editors—we’re becoming directors, producers, and creative leads. But we still need better pipelines, more mentorship, and departments that recognize diverse perspectives as a competitive edge—not a checkbox.

The double standard is real. Men are more likely to be assumed competent with high-end gear. Women often have to prove it—again and again—to be taken seriously. And that slows down access to premium assignments and leadership roles.

Career Advancement in a Male-Dominated Field

Men still dominate numerically in sports media. While exact stats on videography are limited, only 17% of the sports media workforce is female, and even fewer hold technical or decision-making positions.

Women, even with portfolios that rival or surpass their peers, often need to push harder, speak louder, and self-advocate to move up. That means navigating locker room dynamics, sideline access issues, and outdated assumptions about our presence being “temporary.”

But there’s good news: viewership is shifting.

• WNBA viewership is up 68%

• NCAA women’s basketball viewership rose by 15%

With growing demand for dynamic content and underrepresented perspectives, more doors are opening.

The Vision Ahead

I shoot because I love the game. But I stay because the work matters.

Representation behind the lens changes what’s seen on the screen. When girls see women capturing the moments that matter—on the sidelines, in the huddle, behind the scenes—it plants a seed: You could be there too.

Until then, I’ll keep pressing record.

About Regan Jones

Regan Jones is the lead Athletics Videographer for Missouri State University, where she captures the energy and emotion of over 19 NCAA sports. As the founder of My Charmed Productions, she brings a cinematic edge to team branding, athlete storytelling, and sports media strategy. Her passion for the lens began in second grade with a camcorder and a cast of siblings, crafting music videos and backyard plays. By eighth grade, she was creating hype videos for the Greenwood Bulldogs Championship Football teams—and she hasn’t looked back since.

References (APA Style)

ESPN. (2024). WNBA and NCAA women’s basketball viewership increases. Retrieved from https://www.sportsmediawatch.com

Statista. (2024). Women’s sport in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/12808/women-s-sport-in-the-us/

Temple University. (2023). Women in Sports Media Symposium. Temple University School of Media and Communication.

Nielsen. (2023–2024). NCAA and WNBA television ratings reports. Internal data analysis.