Experience Spotlight - Andrew Distler, CBS Sports

In this semester's Experience Spotlight series, the blog will be featuring Cornell ILR SBS members who have excelled in positions in the sports industry. Many talented Cornell students are making impressions all across the sports world, and this is their chance to showcase their experiences.

This week's Spotlight focuses on Andrew Distler '15.  Andrew is a senior in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences where he majors in Sociology and minors in Policy Analysis and Management, Demography, and Music. Andrew has been an active member of the club since his freshman year, attending several conferences and many other events. He also has played a critical role in the success of the Big Red Sports Network as well.  He can be reached at abd76@cornell.edu.

Andrew worked this summer with CBS Sports Network, serving as an Intern in the Programming Division. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his experience.

What were some Day-to-Day responsibilities of the position?

My day-to-day responsibilities included maintaining, and helping create, the 2014-15 college basketball and football schedules, fact checking documents and presentations, and compiling research for CBS Sports Network’s programming, which included providing team previews for several college basketball, football and hockey teams and conferences.

How were you able to get the Internship?

I had originally applied for this internship after my sophomore year. After finding out I needed more experience in order to be considered for a position, I was fortunate enough to assist in the launching of Cornell’s Big Red Sports Network last year, in which I gained lots of experience in sports marketing, research, and journalism. At my interview, my boss seemed impressed how much of the sports world I was able to comprehend, and working with BRSN is a major part of that.

How has this experience shaped your career plans?

This internship definitely made me realize that going into sports television is something I would enjoy. Before this summer, I had only really focused on careers in either league or team offices, but I discovered how much fun working for a sports network can be!

What advice would you give another student interested in a similar experience?

If I had any advice to give students interested in a similar path, it is to get involved with sports in any way possible (i.e., write for your school’s newspaper, join a sports business club, work for one of your school’s teams). Every week, the interns met with an executive from a different department, and each one said that in this industry, experience counts more than anything, so look to get involved any way you can (which is why having BRSN was so helpful for me!). Another important note: Most people in this industry, regardless of position, WANT to help you. I cannot say enough about how my bosses eagerly gave me career advice every chance they got, and how willing they were to put me in touch with other people they knew in sports. Never be afraid to reach out to anyone you know in this, or any other, industry, for advice (also helps with networking, which was also mentioned quite a bit!).

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

My favorite part was definitely our college basketball “draft”, in which we “drafted” college basketball games from certain conferences, with other networks such as ESPN on the phone, waiting to make their picks. It felt like being the War Room for an NFL team, and they really took my suggestions of which games to air to heart. What’s cool is I can see my imprint on this season’s college basketball schedule now! I also loved being in CBS’s main office (Black Rock), as I was able to see first hand how a lot of the network is run.

Thank you to Andrew and CBS Sports for allowing us to share this awesome experience. We hope you have learned about some of the wonderful opportunities that Cornell, the ILR School, and the ILR Sports Business Society can provide in the sports world. We hope to feature many more stories from students and employers this fall!