BROADCAST SPOTLIGHT: NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

As millions tuned in to  the NCAA Men's Tournament, SMT was behind the broadcast driving the scorebug and delivering real-time stats. Every update helped tell the story of Michigan's first title since 1989 as this video illustrates (including a few cameos of Marcus Brown, who served as HoopStat inputter).

Inside the Final Four: Q&A with SMT's spotter and inputter

Now in its 27th year supporting the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, SMT deployed teams to every site nationwide, with courtside spotters and data operators capturing each possession in real time. This year marked Durham Operations Director Marcus Brown’s 17th tournament and his fourth Final Four—continuing a legacy of coverage that followed longtime spotter Lee Brinson—while Remote Operations Tech II Jacob Luksik stepped into the Final Four spotlight for the first time as an inputter, bringing a new perspective to one of the biggest stages in college basketball.

Q: For those who may not be familiar, can you each describe your role during the Final Four?

Marcus: HoopStat Spotter: Responsible for calling all game action back to the inputter in the truck for efficient stats entry. This allows the bug and Chyron to call up interfaced stat graphics in real-time.
Jacob: For this March Madness run, I had the role of inputting. On game days, it looks something like this: My spotter, in this case, Marcus, sits courtside right next to the action. He is given a monitor that displays our stats and a mic and headset so he can communicate with me. During the game, he gives me a live play-by-play for every possession. I input what he’s telling me in real time. Our stats feed graphics both in POP and the Chyron CBS graphics that operators use to have real-time integrated stats used in graphics throughout the show. During commercial breaks, we double check all our stats to make sure they match the official scorers to ensure our graphics have the most up-to-date and accurate information. What people might not know is how much work goes into our set days. The inputter is like our liaison between Client Services and the graphics room. We assist with POP installs, making sure the clock data is hitting all the proper machines, updating rosters, stats, colors, and logos to make sure everything is in order before the games tip off.

Q: Marcus, you’ve supported the NCAA Tournament every year you’ve been at SMT. What has changed over those past 17 years? I have been supporting the tournament since 2010, and this year marks my fourth Final Four. We’ve been the primary bug on the show for over 10 years now—before that, we were just the backup and mainly handled the stats interface. These days, we’re a lot more involved, supporting both the GFX room and the scoreboard data feeding into our machines.

Q: Jacob, how has your background and experience at SMT prepared you for this role? Being on other high-paced shows really helps ease the pressure when operating for March Madness. For example, I’ve been involved with the Kentucky Derby, Boston Marathon, and Olympics swimming trials to run ISO Track as well as being the Tracker operator for the last two years on TNF. You must be locked in on every race, play, etc., to make sure you aren’t missing anything important. Having played basketball my whole life helps me, too.

Q: What kind of preparation or training goes into working the NCAA Men's Tournament? 

Marcus: We run a month-long “boot camp” for both inputters and spotters to get everyone up to speed. The goal is to make sure we’re as efficient as possible entering stats, which means more interfaced stats getting on air. We also cover all the setup pieces—from the scoreboard data interface to understanding POP CG—so we can fully support the CBS operators.
Jacob: Before the tournament starts, we have training sessions in the office with practice machines set up with the latest software being sent to the field. Before we leave for site, we get in practice games by watching archived tournament games that we have stats for from previous years. We watch them in the office with a spotter and an inputter to simulate what a real game would look like. This helps us get a feel for how our spotters call the game and for inputters to express their preferences on verbiage and workflow to make inputting as seamless as possible. We also have systems that we set up in the office to simulate what it is like to set up the machines in the TV trucks once we get to site.

Q: What helps you stay focused during those high-pressure moments?

Marcus: Practice and continuous reps in the office help you stay locked in, even when the game is moving fast or the arena gets so loud you can barely hear yourself think. Honestly, just loving the game and really knowing basketball helps a ton, too.
Jacob: I know everyone who works the tournament is a fan of some team, but the hardest part is trying to take your fandom out of the game. You can’t get caught up in the highlight plays because the ball is already back in bounds by the time the replays are over.

Q: Be honest—how nerve-wracking is it when the game is on the line?

Marcus: I think the nerves really kick in when you are spotting for a team you actually cheer for. Whether it’s a last-second shot that sinks your team or a clutch free throw that puts them up one, there can definitely be a brief moment of silence on the headset while you try to get yourself back under control! But as many have said, these are the moments we live for!
Jacob: When the games are tight at the end, you just hope for a controlled pace. When teams are speeding up trying to claw back into games, it can be hard to keep up. But you get lots of practice as the tournament goes on, so it’s not so different.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being involved in March Madness?

Marcus: Being around my fellow inputter, the players, coaches, the CBS graphics team, and the sport itself is the most rewarding part of the experience. Having a courtside view of high-level basketball is incredible, but what makes it truly meaningful is knowing you are helping deliver the information that brings the game’s story to life for viewers at home.
Jacob: I think my favorite part is getting to go on the court and navigate the stadiums throughout the week — and exploring the cities we’re in on our off days. It’s important to find ways to relax throughout the weeks with the long hours we put in.

TOURNAMENT SPOTLIGHT: COCO

Updated branding brings new energy to Credit One Charleston Open

Thanks to Taylor Sutton, Event Project Manager, for contributing to this report and to Shaun Bales for the highlight reel.

SMT returned to Credit One Charleston Open for the fifth consecutive year, delivering a comprehensive suite of on-site technology and production services for the Women's Tennis Association event, held March 28–April 5 at Credit One Stadium.

Led by EPM Taylor Sutton, SMT deployed a team of 25 personnel across setup, live operations and breakdown, with a core group of 12 supporting the tournament from the first serve through the championship match. In addition to on-site efforts, SMT’s Creative Studio team provided remote support for daily player animations and renders, ensuring a seamless visual experience throughout the event.

A New Look A major focus was a full graphics overhaul to align with updated tournament branding guidelines. SMT’s Creative Studio worked behind the scenes to refresh all visual elements across displays, ensuring a consistent and modern presentation across every court and fan-facing screen.

On-Site Support SMT’s footprint spanned the entire venue, enhancing both the fan and player experience through a wide range of services:

• LED Displays Across the Grounds: From stadium backwalls and upper boards to practice courts and outer courts, SMT powered dynamic displays throughout the venue. This included scoreboard displays, shot clocks, and the SMT Iconic Information Towers, as well as displays in fan-focused areas like “The Circle,” “The Deck,” and the newly introduced “Kitchen” activation space.
• Event Production: SMT managed live production for both the main stadium and Althea Gibson Court, delivering engaging in-venue entertainment and match presentation.
• Scoring and Data Services: SMT supported official match operations through chair umpire data collection and distribution, multiple internal broadcast channels, and a practice court scheduling application. Serve speed tracking was also delivered on four courts, including the main stadium and key outer courts.
• Fan Engagement Features: The SMT Interactive Display “Selfie with the Stars” gave fans a fun, personalized way to connect with the tournament and its players.

The event featured numerous last-minute content updates, including the addition of a doubles exhibition match late in the tournament. Despite the fast turnaround, SMT’s team delivered every change quickly and efficiently.

“We had numerous last-second changes and updates to content and we were still able to deliver in a timely manner, including a last-minute exhibition doubles event that popped up on semifinal Saturday," shared Taylor. "The client was appreciative of our quick action on any changes.”

Off the court, fans were treated to a unique crossover moment when the Bryan Brothers made a surprise appearance during quarterfinals Friday—this time as musicians—performing a rock concert on Althea Gibson Court. The duo also returned to the court on Saturday to compete in the exhibition doubles event, adding an extra layer of excitement.

LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT: TGL

SMT wraps inaugural TGL season, prepares for debut of women's league 

Thanks to SMT Coordinating Producer Michael Guariglia for contributing to this report and to Shaun Bales for the highlight reel.

Following the conclusion of the TGL Championship, SMT has successfully wrapped its first season supporting the league, capping off a groundbreaking year of seamless execution both on site and remotely.

A major milestone for the season came with SMT’s transition to remote operations from ROOSTER in Durham. The setup proved highly effective, with minimal issues reported throughout the three-month run. Seven different staff members operated or shadowed the show during this period, contributing to consistently smooth broadcasts and strong internal feedback. The ROOSTER workflow, supported by coordinated comms and dual BitFire feeds for both program and graphics monitoring, replicated the on-site experience and enabled a seamless shift from the SoFi Center to Durham. The transition was further strengthened by the support of the ROOSTER team, ensuring near-flawless execution through the remainder of the season.

As the season progressed, SMT continued to enhance TGL’s on-air presentation with new animations integrated into the Constant (scorebug). These included Hole-in-One and Penalty alerts, Playoff and Finals insert animations, Booth Review indicators, and an Overtime graphic introduced during the league’s first extra-time match between Jupiter and Boston on March 1. While core systems remained consistent, these additions helped elevate the viewing experience and provided clearer context for fans in key moments.

Behind the scenes, SMT also refined the operator experience, improving the dashboard functionality of the graphics interface to better support real-time production demands. Feedback from TGL’s bug operator highlighted the system’s ease of use and reliability, reinforcing the effectiveness of SMT’s design approach.

The impact extended to the broader production team as well. TGL’s graphics operators—who previously managed multiple responsibilities simultaneously—credited SMT’s solutions with significantly easing their workload and enabling more graphics to be brought to air throughout the broadcast.

SMT maintained full support across its core elements, including the Constant scorebug, Nerd Lines shot data, Green Zone distance-to-pin visuals, and GEMStat scoring application—all of which played a key role during the Championship matches.

The season concluded back on site at the SoFi Center for the Finals, where SMT team members assisted with final operations and system strike. With a successful first year complete, SMT is well-positioned for the future of the league. Plans are already underway for Season 3, which is expected to include expansion teams, as well as the anticipated debut of a new women’s league this fall—marking the next chapter in TGL’s continued evolution.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: DRIVE, CHIP & PUTT

From debut to 2026: SMT adapts systems for new Drive, Chip & Putt rules

Thanks to EPM Torrance Wilson and Media Production Manager Peter Frank for contributing to this report. Thanks to Shaun Bales, Video Editor, for the highlight reel.

SMT returned to Augusta National Golf Club on April 5 to support the 12th Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, continuing a partnership that dates back to the event’s inaugural year in 2014. Created by the Masters Tournament Foundation, USGA and PGA of America, the competition brings together 80 of the nation’s top junior golfers, ages 7-15, to showcase their skills on one of the sport’s most iconic stages. Eight junior golfers were crowned champions after demonstrating their accuracy in driving, chipping and putting.

This year, SMT introduced enhancements across multiple systems to support new competition rules, including bonus points awarded to participants who complete their attempts in under 40 seconds. To meet these requirements, SMT’s engineering team redesigned key software applications and implemented updated scoring logic to ensure seamless integration across all platforms.

SMT also continued to deliver its full suite of event services, including:

• Scoring systems
• LED displays and production support
• Press Building and Tournament HQ leaderboard presentation

A highlight of SMT’s contribution was the continued evolution of the SMART virtual graphics system for the chipping competition. Using a dedicated camera, custom software, and SMT’s proprietary rendering and graphics publishing systems, Josh Berntsen and Peter Frank delivered dynamic, real-time visuals that elevated both the broadcast and in-venue experience. These enhancements provided fans with intuitive, data-driven context, making the competition more engaging and easier to follow.

New and returning features included:

• Virtual target rings at 5’, 10’ and 15’ around the hole
• A live indicator showing the current leader’s mark
• A “to take the lead” visualization, illustrating exactly how close a competitor needs to land their chip

"The camera was on a wooden platform, which of course is never ideal for a panhead show, but after we cautioned the camera operator and showed him how shifting his weight caused the graphic to jump, he was very good about holding steady when we were on air, and our rings looked great for all 4 hours of chipping" Josh shared.

"We built the camera and our work station, calibrated, operated on show day and then struck all SMT equipment after the show," said Peter. "Not having a designated golf cart adds challenges to our job. It's a five-minute golf cart ride to the camera, which equates to a 45-minute walk, which is in no way an efficient use of our time.  Neither is trying to find a cart to use or wait for a runner to take us; however, we were able to manage."

Events and Remote Teams

We are staffing 68 events this week. Safe travels to all!

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