From HPU to Orlando Magic: Dreams Come True for Wendell Epps in Sports Broadcasting

Wendell Epps, who won the Bob Ryan Sports Reporter of the Year Award and the inaugural Golden Microphone Outstanding Communicator Award, is shown outside the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. The Class of 2023 graduate accepted a job with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.  

There isn’t an opportunity at High Point University that Wendell Epps didn’t seize. You can tell that much from his LinkedIn profile.

During the past four years, the Class of 2023 graduate and sports media major has posted about a new internship he landed, industry experience from which he learned, or conference he attended seemingly every day.

So it came as no surprise to his friends and professors when, days before graduation, Epps accepted a job with the Orlando Magic NBA team as their Radio Graduate Associate. In doing so, he accomplished the ultimate dream he’d been working so hard to achieve.

Epps, from Fairfax, Virginia, amassed the skills and experiences at High Point University that turned his dream into reality.

“The opportunity was there immediately, and I took it and ran with it,” says Epps.

Here are just a few examples:

• Epps was a Communication Fellow in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, which gave him constant access to connect with industry leaders and attend professional conferences.
• He called more than 100 games on ESPN+ as a play-by-play broadcaster for HPU’s Division I athletic teams.
• He learned from sport industry icons like Bob Ryan, American sportswriter, former Boston Globe columnist and contributor to ESPN’s “Around the Horn.” Ryan is HPU’s Sports Reporter in Residence.
• Epps won the Bob Ryan Sports Reporter of the Year Award and the inaugural Golden Microphone Outstanding Communicator Award at Honors Day on April 19. Both awards are given annually by HPU’s School of Communication.
• Last year, Epps was recognized as the university’s Sports Broadcaster of the Year.
• Epps launched his role as a play-by-play broadcaster and host of his podcast, “The Sports Student.”
• He recently attended the Black Sports Business Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, where he met with several professional sports teams and made connections with the NBA, NFL and ESPN.

The list goes on, but to Epps, it was the moments in between those accomplishments – picking up a microphone when his HPU Panthers took the field, practicing for interviews with the help of a faculty member, or getting to have lunch with industry leaders most college students never meet – that made the difference.

“The unique opportunities that HPU gave me are what helped me achieve my main goal of getting familiar with the sports media industry,” said Epps. “This includes having the content needed to put together a compelling reel for both play-by-play and sports anchoring/reporting. I announced games on ESPN+ and anchored various sportscasts and shows inside the School of Communication studio less than three months into my freshman year, which gave me confidence at an early stage of my college tenure.”

Real-World Experience

Epps took advantage of numerous valuable experiences, both at the university and in the industry, that helped increase his experience and knowledge.

“As president of the National Sports Media Association student chapter, the School of Communication gave me the opportunity to facilitate the majority of events with Bob Ryan, which was an amazing experience,” said Epps. “Through my interactions with him these past few years, I went to an HPU Men’s Basketball game with him, to dinner at 1924 Prime and Alo, and even had the chance to get my own sports media content critiqued by him. Mr. Ryan is one of my biggest mentors and we keep in contact today.”

On campus, Epps not only called more than 100 games on ESPN+ as a play-by-play broadcaster and served as president of the NSMA student chapter, but he was also the director of broadcasting for HPU Sports Link.

“I was able to take these unique experiences on campus and turn them into two internships with a pair of sports media powerhouses – one at WXII-12 News, the local NBC affiliate in Winston-Salem, and another at FOX Sports in Charlotte,” said Epps. “During my senior year, I had the chance to land play-by-play opportunities at other colleges in North Carolina after they saw my work from games I called at HPU.”

He called a volleyball match at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne University and football for his first time ever at N.C. A&T State University’s home opener of the 2022 season.

“One of the most memorable moments that I know will stick with me forever is the senior trip to Boston, Massachusetts, that I went on with our NSMA student chapter this spring,” said Epps. “Getting to travel with some of my closest friends in the sports media major, networking with professionals in Boston and going to three major league sporting events in the span of 72 hours was an experience I’ll never forget. It showed me how close the students in our sports media major really are but more importantly how much the program has grown since my freshman year.”

Turning the spotlight away from himself, Epps expressed gratitude to have had many impactful faculty members at HPU, especially within the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.

“The one who stood out to me the most has been Dr. Bobby Hayes, chair of the HPU Department of Journalism and Sports Media,” said Epps. “Through my time having him as a professor, he continually challenged me to seek ways to elevate my performance as a sports broadcaster and reporter. His willingness to meet with me one-on-one outside of class to discuss classwork and career and professional development really meant a lot to me. It showed that he truly has an invested interest in not just preparing his students for one semester, but rather for an entire sports media career.”

Hayes was quick to return compliments about Epps as an outstanding student.

“When you combine talent with a tireless work ethic, you have quite a combination that perfectly describes Wendell,” said Hayes. “Wendell is a leader in every situation, but he leads in the best possible way – through example. He is going to do great things regardless of where he chooses to devote his energies. But the best thing I can say about Wendell is this: As great as he is as a student and sports broadcaster and reporter, he’s an even better person. Any organization that talks to him about an open position will find him irresistible.”

Dr. Virginia McDermott, dean of HPU’s Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, noted Epps’ selection to participate in the Virtual Development Series hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Wendell was selected for this opportunity from hundreds of applicants to learn more about the Eagles’ organization and potential career paths directly from the front-office executives,” said McDermott.

Leading the Competition

Being able to communicate with others and differentiate himself from the competition are life skills that resonated most with Epps during his four years at HPU. He learned the importance of being an effective communicator through numerous classes, including Dr. Qubein’s President Seminar as well as Human Communication and Persuasive Speaking within the School of Communication.

“I was able to take those skills and apply them on my ESPN+ broadcasts at HPU as well as at job fairs and various sports media seminars I attended during my college tenure,” said Epps.

Throughout his time at HPU, Epps was motivated to take extra steps to differentiate himself from others by getting involved in anything he could within the realm of sports.

“This led to creating some unique opportunities for myself, most notably interviewing former NBA player and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick on my podcast and doing a one-on-one interview with Hall of Fame sportscaster Jim Nantz,” said Epps. “Without learning those life skills, I would not have had that push to go the extra mile. It is a big reason why I was able to get my foot in the door within the industry and get sports media experiences with three of the biggest sports media companies (FOX, ESPN and NBC) through internship opportunities that have added tremendous value to my online portfolio and resume.”

Epps went through two rounds of interviews with the Orlando Magic before being offered the position that checked off both boxes of his childhood dreams of living in Florida and working for an NBA team. The phone call he got from the Magic was surreal, Epps said.

“Being a first-generation college student and graduating Magna Cum Laude, it was a special moment for not just myself but my family to see me walk across the stage,” said Epps. “My time at HPU was such a memorable ride, and it was amazing getting to experience and celebrate my accomplishments with my friends and professors after the commencement ceremony as well.”

This summer, Epps will continue to increase his connections in the industry by attending conferences, including those of the NSMA and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

“From announcing games on ESPN+ to interviewing the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks for a podcast, HPU allowed me to grow my skills within the sports media industry,” said Epps. “The professors I had were astounding, and I cannot thank them enough for all the support and guidance they gave me. I hope every student takes advantage of all the amazing resources on campus because there are a ton of them. These last four years have been life-changing, and there’s no doubt that I have become a much more confident, wiser and knowledgeable version of Wendell Epps than the version of Wendell Epps I was back in 2019 when I came in as a freshman.”

And looking ahead, he knows those life skills will play key positions in his sports media career.