The College Football Playoff National Championship game is giving some TCU journalism students an incredible experience.
They're in Inglewood, California to cover the game - and like the players, they're ready to prove themselves.
"We have the same mentality as the football team," said Tristen Smith, a senior and member of TCU Student Media. "Do your job. Do what you've been doing all season long, and it's gonna be a good product in the end."
Members of the sports staff for TCU Student Media take pictures, get video, write stories and share opinions about Horned Frog athletics.
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The football team has been the biggest story all year - and now the College Football Playoff national championship game brings their highest-profile assignment.
Five of the students talked to NBC 5 via Zoom about what they're most looking forward to and what could bring a challenge.
"I'm excited to explore a new state and city but I'm also really excited just to see TCU football hopefully shock the world on Monday night," said junior Dru Kennedy Hawkins. "I think the biggest challenge will be trying to stay calm in the press box. It's usually so quiet and it's so hard when you want to root for your team. So that's obviously the biggest challenge."
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"My biggest challenge is who I want to talk to during press, during media," said Lys Marquez, a junior whose started covering the team her freshman year. "Definitely Dee Winters, Quentin Johnson but then there's people who don't get a lot of recognition."
"The biggest challenge is going to be keeping my heartrate down while watching the game, because it's going to be insane, a ton of nerves," said junior Ethan Love who will be at SoFi as a fan rather than part of student media and paid his own way to get there. "When you cover it and follow the team this long, you get connected to the players, coaches and I know how much it would mean to them, to the city and the campus and everyone. So think that's gonna be the biggest challenge is trying to keep everything, my emotions in check."
"I'm super excited about the game; excited about to experience the press box and I'm really excited to try the food," said junior Micah Pearce. "The biggest challenge will be getting there and focusing on the work I need to do. I'll need to put out articles. At Fiesta Bowl, they had prime rib and salmon for us, so I'm hoping Sofi won't disappoint."
"We were picked to finish 7th in the Big 12 going into this, and now we're one of two teams still playing football in 2023 to start off the year," said Smith, the only photographer on the sidelines for TCU Student Media. "So, it's exciting to be able to cover this team on the biggest stage."
"You have to focus yourself in the moment and say, okay, this is very exciting and I have my job to do, but I think honestly, what really exemplifies my excitement as a fan is to be able to capture those moments because what do people do after these games? They like to go and look back at the photos from the game and reminisce on that. Being able to capture those moments and to be able to share them with others that maybe didn't have a good seat at the game, maybe didn't get to be at the game period. There are some moments ESPN or some of these other photographers don't capture, so it's a blessing and an honor to be able to do those things."
All five students have eyes on careers in journalism, and the football team has given them some great material for resumes.
