Stephen F. Austin Athletics Partners with AI Tool for Game Recaps, Drawing Mixed Reaction from Student Journalists

SFA athletics has made a significant move in the world of sports storytelling by partnering with FanWord, an AI-powered platform used by over 215 schools and conferences across the United States and Canada. The partnership aims to ‘humanize’ box scores and stats by focusing on the people behind them rather than just numbers themselves.

The multi-year deal gives SFA’s athletic communications team access to FanWord Assist, a suite of tools designed to turn box scores, stats, and postgame interviews into ready-to-edit game recaps, player bios, and award nominations. This AI tool is not only used by Stephen F. Austin but also by other prominent institutions such as Florida State, UConn, and SMU.

According to Jacob Pumphrey, SFA’s assistant athletic director for communications, the goal of this partnership is simple: tell better stories faster while still maintaining a human touch in sports reporting. ‘The human element is not going to be lost,’ he emphasized. ‘We still have to be good crafters of the written word. We still have to know how to storytell.’

Pumphrey explained that FanWord Assist will help his three-person communications office work more efficiently, freeing up time to pursue deeper and more meaningful athlete stories. He noted that this partnership is not a replacement for human journalists but rather an aid in streamlining the process of creating game recaps.

The program costs between $250 and $350 per sport, which Pumphrey believes is roughly an eighth of what a full-time staff position would cost. This makes FanWord Assist an attractive option for athletic departments looking to cut costs without sacrificing quality content.

What sets FanWord apart from other AI tools is its focus on the needs of people working in athletic communications. ‘The one thing that kind of set FanWord apart from just your normal AI is the fact that it’s a company that employs people who have actually worked in these positions,’ Pumphrey said. This understanding of the industry allows FanWord to craft tools tailored specifically to the challenges faced by those in this field.

One feature that Pumphrey is particularly excited about is the platform’s first-person storytelling tool, designed to help tell athlete stories even when schedules make sit-down interviews nearly impossible. ‘Student athletes’ schedules are very busy,’ he noted. ‘It’s tough to maybe find a 30-minute window sometimes to sit down and talk with them.’ This tool allows for text answers, audio answers, or video answers from student-athletes at their convenience.

Not everyone is convinced that this partnership is the right move, however. Kylie Chandler, a junior at SFA and writer for The Pine Log student newspaper, expressed disappointment over the decision to use AI in game recaps. ‘I feel like it’d be so much more meaningful if we used this opportunity to showcase our students’ abilities,’ she said.

Chandler also raised concerns about mixed messaging on campus regarding AI usage. She noted that while SFA is moving forward with AI-powered tools, students are discouraged from using AI in their coursework. Pumphrey pushed back against the idea that the partnership signals a lack of confidence in student journalists.

‘This isn’t a move because we don’t want to rely on our journalism department or we don’t feel that students can get the job done,’ he said. ‘This is just more so to help the current full-time employees in the office do their job a little bit more efficiently.’

The door remains open for student workers, with Pumphrey encouraging any interested students to come forward and discuss potential opportunities. The athletics department says it is actively looking for student workers and interns heading into the fall season.

Ultimately, this partnership marks a significant step towards ‘humanizing AI’ in sports storytelling, but its impact will depend on how well SFA’s athletic communications team can balance efficiency with the need to tell meaningful stories about athletes.