First Name: Brandon
Last Name: Meier
Company Name: University of Nebraska
Past Affiliations: Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Rockets, University of Oklahoma
Years of IDEA Membership: 23
Years in the Industry: 27
IDEA Leadership: University Rep, Inspire the Passion Award Committee Chair
IDEA Role:
Special Consideration:
I am writing to endorse the nomination of fellow IDEA member Brandon Meier to the IDEA Hall of Fame. Brandon has been an IDEA member for 23 years. He founded and chaired the Inspire the Passion award and has served as University Rep several times.
Here’s a synapsis of his Hall of Fame career.
Brandon Meier had ESPN aspirations while in high school, he developed into a prodigy in the early days of HuskerVision, became a production manager for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and was recognized as one of the best in the business for his multimedia work while at the University of Oklahoma.
Brandon Meier joined the Nebraska Athletic Department in October of 2018 as the Senior Associate AD for Marketing & Multimedia and oversees Nebraska’s HuskerVision, creative & emerging media and marketing & fan experience departments.
Meier’s knowledge and 27 years of experience in the field of TV and multimedia production have made him one of the most respected leaders in his field.
A Nebraska native and graduate, Meier returned to Lincoln after working for the Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma Sooners. While earning his bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nebraska, he served as a student assistant and producer at HuskerVision. Meier stayed on at Huskervision working as a Producer while obtaining a Masters’ degree in Marketing.
Prior to returning to Nebraska, Meier served as the Associate Athletics Director for Broadcast Operations at Oklahoma. He joined OU’s SoonerVision staff in July of 2007 as Executive Director of Video Production.
At Oklahoma, Meier led a media transformation in intercollegiate athletics. During his 12-year tenure, OU became an industry leader in a variety of areas including TV production, video board production, digital signage and video delivery over a variety of digital platforms. He’s doing the same at Nebraska. In Norman, Meier oversaw a multi-million-dollar rebuild, including the addition of two high-definition control rooms to manage production, including a new 20,000-square-foot facility, which created an advertising agency feel to the workplace.
An engaging and energetic leader, Brandon is a student of his craft and is highly educated. He stays in tune with the industry and is a good manager of people. At OU, he oversaw 17 full-time and 100 part-time employees, many of whom who were students at Oklahoma. Meier oversaw one of the largest broadcast departments in college or professional sports.
While Meier’s cutting-edge approach and commitment to excellence put OU at or near the top of video and television production at the intercollegiate athletics level, his impact was much greater on those who worked with him. He actively cultivated a strong, working relationship with the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and its students were the beneficiaries of this relationship. Students fill many of the key spots in everything that Meier’s group produced. As a result, production assistants who worked for SoonerVision and graduated from OU have a major impact in the sports industry. That relationship and apprentice program led to a successful pipeline of students ready for full-time positions in the production world after graduating.
Among the many projects that flourished under Meier’s leadership was the creation of Oklahoma Sooner Sports Television—the first University-produced TV partnership with FOX Sports which resulted in more than 5,000 hours of OU programming including 135 live games a year immersing the Sooner brand with immense exposure. He also produced and directed three documentaries on the history of OU football personally overseeing the transfer of rare 16mm canisters of film and cataloging the most comprehensive video archives for one of the top football programs in the country.
Meier’s career began as a 16-year old high schooler working as a photographer/reporter for KNOP-TV in his hometown of North Platte, Nebraska. While studying at Nebraska, Meier worked as a student assistant and producer for HuskerVision, eventually having the opportunity to work with the first video board at an intercollegiate athletics facility when Nebraska installed its first video board in 1995.
From Nebraska, Meier interned for current IDEA HOF John Franzone at the Tampa Devil Rays. During his internship, he attended his first IDEA in July of 1999. Since 1999, Brandon has missed only 2 conferences: Montreal and San Diego.
In 2003, Meier headed to Houston where he helped open the Toyota Center as the production manager/producer for the Houston Rockets for 4 seasons. He operated the video systems and led the in-game production for the Houston Rockets which received 4 GMA awards and countless nominations.
Looking to transition to collegiate sports, Brandon earned a huge endorsement from Jeff Schmahl, past IDEA President, who mentored Brandon during his days at HuskerVision starting in 1995. Schmahl hired Meier, then a freshman, as a student assistant and producer for HuskerVision. He became one of Schmahl’s prized pupils.
Now in Lincoln, Brandon is creating the same buzz and leading a media transformation in intercollegiate athletics. He helped design and build a brand-new production facility; started the first ever in house radio network, Husker Radio Network which transmits over 52 affiliates and broadcasts more than 1600 hours of Husker programming. Meier has also launched Spanish language broadcasts at Nebraska.
Nominated by the Sports Business Journal Top 40 under 40 in 2017, Meier is a great storyteller and is now focused on telling and selling the story of student athletes and their experiences. Everywhen he’s been, he’s been a tremendous asset.
As an IDEA member and colleague, Brandon has shared his successes and failures with other conference members for the betterment of each individually. Always helpful and fearless when it comes to taking chances on innovation for the purpose of producing meaningful and engaging content. Brandon has also made sure to invest in those that invest in IDEA. Whether it’s a manufacturer or an integrator, Brandon encourages and challenges current and former Allied members to be better and to surpass standards.
Just an absolutely gracious and humbled person, a wonderful husband and a devoted father of 2. Brandon is made from the same cloth that knitted the values and character of each member of the IDEA Hall of Fame. He is in the same class as those who have achieved excellence in our field and therefore should be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Please join me in making that happen.
Nominated by: Ed Filomia, Miami Heat
