In the summer before her junior year at Texas A&M University, Lia Musgrave '19 landed an internship in operations with the Brazos Valley Bombers, hoping to gain the experience necessary to succeed in the sports industry. What she discovered, however, was that her new position was centered on serving food and working concession stands around the ballpark.
Dissatisfied with her role and motivated to do more, Musgrave marched into the press box and demanded something simple — a chance.
“I’ll go make the connections, I’ll talk to the players,” she said to the room of experienced announcers and analysts. “Just give me a microphone, give me a chance and let me see what I can do.”
Now, three years following her graduation from Texas A&M with a degree in telecommunications, Musgrave has been able to use the experience she fought for and earned during her time with the Bombers, as well as the many other opportunities she was able to maximize throughout her time in College Station, to define her own version of success.
While at Texas A&M, Musgrave was involved with the Bombers, TexAgs, the Bryan-College Station Eagle, KBTX TV, the Corps of Cadets and KAMU TV. Through these organizations, Musgrave said she gained the media experience that helped jumpstart her post-graduate career.
“Every time I sought an opportunity, somebody was always there and willing to hand me the microphone that I asked for,” Musgrave said. “If something wasn’t going to go well, I found that it was a learning experience and it gave me a whole toolbox of things that I was able to take with me.”
Now, Musgrave works for the XFL, creating digital content on the marketing team.
A career in content creation within a wide-open playing field has proven to be a perfect fit for Musgrave, a self-described avid sports fan and lover of storytelling. Because the profession is relatively new, she said she has the freedom to write her own job description each day when she arrives in the office.
But for Musgrave, the best part of her position is the opportunity to connect with athletes off the field, be it turf, hardwood or any surface in between.
“Something that's been really rewarding for me is being able to shine a light on athletes whose stories I really believe deserve to be told,” Musgrave said. “Being able to connect with athletes has been something I absolutely love — getting to know them on a personal level and getting to tell their story in a unique way.”
Outside of her internship experiences, Musgrave cites her time on campus as one of the factors for her success — her knowledge of audiences, media theory and its history coming from the professors and small, hands-on classes within her major.
“College Station as a community was a really good place to foster my passion for athletics and media,” Musgrave said. “As an institution, Texas A&M was an opportunity to create more of my own opportunities.”
In terms of her future, Musgrave said she hopes to become the vice president of content for a major sports team. Plus, she hopes to open doors for other women within the industry — women who may not have had enough representation within the sports industry in the past.
“I want to be a trailblazer for women in sports — that's always been something I’ve been really really passionate about,” Musgrave said. “I’ve been in the industry for five years now, and just in five years, I’ve seen a ton of progress for women in the industry and the way that we’re able to have a seat at the table.”