• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Views from the Driver’s Seat

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be sure to come back each week as interns from around the country share their summer experiences with us!

By: Todd Rogers, @Todd_TTU

Todd Rogers showing off the ACU football jersey! 

This past week of my internship is what you could call the “capstone” experience of my summer. Each year, ACU athletics takes a trip around Texas to visit donors, fans, and alumni across the state and I was lucky enough to get to travel on the Wildcat Club Caravan this summer. Being an intern, I drew the short end of the stick and got the task of driving to each stop along the Wildcat Club Caravan.

Here is a quick recap of my week travel wise; we left Monday afternoon and drove seven hours to Houston, the next day we drove to San Antonio and then to Austin, on Wednesday we drove from Austin to Dallas and ended the day in Ft. Worth, and then we finally reached Abilene again around 4:00 PM Thursday afternoon.

All in all, it was over 1,000 miles of driving over a four day span. Thankfully though I did not have to endure the long car rides all alone. I got the awesome opportunity to ride with the head football coach and the head volleyball coach here at ACU. This is just another example of all the cool opportunities I get to have while interning at a smaller university. How many other interns at DI universities get the chance to drive around for a week with two head coaches?

Luckily for me, both of the coaches I was with had plenty of stories to share about their experiences while coaching which made the car rides from place to place much more enjoyable. Additionally, both of the coaches also received occasional phone calls from recruits, and it was cool to be able to listen to the coaches and how they interact with these recruits and the mission and vision of their teams that they are selling to these potential student athletes.

Rooms were packed with alumni and donors at each stop along the way! 

Each stop along the caravan had a similar program with the AD opening things up by talking about some of the highlights of the previous year then followed by the true stars of the show, the head coaches. When going over the impressive list of year-end highlights at each stop, it was always neat to get to some of the big accomplishments and to hear the crowd’s reaction and subsequent applause.

Some of the things accomplished by ACU in the past year are truly remarkable, especially for a school who still has not completed its transition to DI. However, the best part of each stop was listening to the head coaches speak.

While three of the coaches were at each stop along the caravan and I heard the speeches that they gave to the crowd multiple times, I would still get chills listening to them speak and hearing about how excited they were for the future of their programs. It was incredible to see the passion that these coaches have for not only their team but the university as a whole. There was one stop in particular in Dallas where the head coaches stole the show.

There were five coaches in total but each of them came up and gave incredible speeches. Even the track coach, who if you remember from one of my previous posts is brand new, got up in front of a large crowd in Dallas and stole the show. While he didn’t have a previous year to talk about, he blew everyone away and was up on the stage preaching to the crowd at Dallas. It was extremely obvious that while he hadn’t been around long, he was a perfect fit for ACU and already had a deep passion for the school.

All in all, it was such a great experience to be able to travel along the Wildcat Club Caravan this past week. I am blessed to have gotten the opportunity to meet so many fans and alumni of the university and also to be able to travel around with two head coaches and get to listen to the never ending amount of stories that they have. While it was a long week, and arriving at a hotel at 10:00 PM just to have to take a quiz that is due at midnight was not ideal, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Key Takeaways of “Lessons from an Intern”

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

True Challenges of an Intern

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

A Lesson on Confidence: Walk Like A Matador

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be…

5 Takeaways From My Summer Internship

By: Todd Rogers, @Todd_TTU My summer internship here at ACU has finally…

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

What Rolapp’s NFL Exit Means—and the Top Candidates to Replace Him

NFL media boss Brian Rolapp leaves; the league hunts for his replacement.
May 23, 2025

New LPGA Commissioner: Women’s Golf ‘Really Hard’ to Find on TV

Former PGA of America COO Craig Kessler will lead the tour.
Gabby Thomas
exclusive
June 12, 2025

Grand Slam Track Cancels Los Angeles Meet As $30 Million Track Start-Up..

Sources close to Grand Slam insist money is not an issue.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Donald Trump, Nick Saban
May 22, 2025

Proposed Trump College Sports Commission May Never Happen

The White House is not sure of its plans.
May 15, 2025

PGA Championship Tees Off With Free Food, Record Hospitality Sales

General admission includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Allyson Felix
May 1, 2025

Allyson Felix on Olympic Pay, Nike, and Track’s Big-Money Era

Felix talked to FOS about her push to help Olympic parents and more.
Jordon Hudson
April 30, 2025

Bill Belichick Accuses CBS of ‘Selectively’ Editing Awkward Girlfriend Clip

The North Carolina coach cited his “professional” relationship with Jordon Hudson.