FSU continues to prepare for launch of ACC Network

Seminole Productions continues to prepare for the ACC Network's launch in August 2019.

The video production unit – located in the Moore Athletic Center and part of Florida State’s School of Communication – is planning to add two additional control rooms to help handle the production needs for FSU athletics.

The ESPN-owned conference channel has encouraged ACC schools to improve their video production capabilities to help guarantee the television channel will be available to consumers in 17 months,

“It’s exciting, and it (additional control rooms) solves a big problem for us because are short on control rooms,” said Marc Rodin, executive director of Seminole Productions.

ESPN is scheduled to begin its production training sessions at the league's 15 schools in August.

Many ACC schools are or have undergone massive infrastructure upgrades for the conference network launch.

Seminole Productions, considered a trendsetter in its industry, currently has two fully functional high-end control rooms and a quality control room that features state-of-the art equipment for its broadcast and ACC Network Extra production needs.

But that space doesn't fulfill the needs for all FSU sports.

Seminole Productions produces more than 100 television programs annually for athletics and also oversees nearly 10,000 square feet of new video boards, including Doak Campbell Stadium scoreboard – college football’s second-largest in the country.

It also produces live events on ESPN’s linear networks such as ESNPU and ESPN2 and continues online streaming like in the past on ACC Network Extra, an online channel dedicated for the broadcast of ACC sports and programming.

This weekend promises to be busy.

Seminole Productions is handling the video boards for the NCAA Women's Tournament games at the Tucker Civic Center and Saturday's FSU-Notre Dame baseball game at Howser Stadium, in addition to the ACC Network Extra pass through for baseball - meaning the utilization of one camera.

The Friday and Sunday baseball games are full broadcasts on ACC Network Extra.

Seminole Productions underwent $3 million in renovations and state-of-the-art upgrades – paid by FSU athletics - in the summer of 2016 that enhanced the production workflow.

The new upgrades are set to begin in May and expected to cost the athletics department near that same amount, according to Rodin.

Rodin said the productions unit will also take advantage of existing studio space in the press box at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The space was initially utilized by Seminole Productions before the FSU sports information department moved its game-day operations to the stadium’s ninth floor.

Rodin said Seminole Productions is also looking to add camera towers at Dick Howser Stadium and JoAnne Graf Field.

According to the ACC, the conference - through the digital platform - produced and distributed 1,450 live events during the 2016-17 academic year.

The league estimates that the linear network will produce and distribute more than 1,500 events each season.

Without its own television network, the ACC is missing a valuable revenue stream that will help increase profit margins.

The network, according to reports, is projected to make an additional $8-10 million in 2019-20. That total could increase to between $10-15 million in future years.