Karl Ravech '87 may have the toughest on-air job in sports broadcasting.

Shortly after ESPN beamed its first program to a curious cable TV audience in 1979, the network's connection to Ithaca College was established. During the ensuing 24 years a veritable pipeline has fed Ithaca graduates to jobs with the "all sports, all the time" company.

Because a number of Ithaca graduates have obtained management positions at ESPN, it may be easier for alumni to land entry-level positions at the network.

In 1988 the ICQ ran a story about 12 IC alumni then working at ESPN. Today at least 30 Ithaca College alumni hold down a variety of positions at ESPN among some 2,800 employees. That's a significant percentage, given the number of individuals seeking jobs at the acknowledged global leader in sports broadcasting.

Some of these graduates took a more circuitous route from Ithaca to ESPN than others, but most concede that the ties between the Roy H. Park School of Communications and the company helped them get their jobs. And they agree that what they learned at IC, primarily at the Park School and at WICB radio and ICTV, prepared them well for the tasks they now undertake at work.

Because a number of Ithaca graduates have obtained management positions at ESPN, it may be easier for alumni to land entry-level positions at the network. Seeing Ithaca College on a résumé or receiving a call from an Ithaca graduate has been known to open doors at the company.