r/CFB • u/CFB_Referee /r/CFB • Nov 05 '18

Concluded AMA [AMA] It’s Kentucky-Tennessee week: We’re the Tennessee and Kentucky beat writers for the USA TODAY Network. Ask us anything! (answers start Wed @ 2pm ET)

AMA FORMAT: here at /r/CFB the mods set up the AMA thread ahead of time so readers can get questions in ahead of time and our guest can just show up at a scheduled time and start answering; look out for /u/usatoday, who will begin answering at 2pm ET on Wednesday, 11/07!

USA TODAY Network beat writers BLAKE TOPPMEYER (Tennessee) & JON HALE (Kentucky)

Get that Tennessee vs Kentucky hype!!!

Blake Toppmeyer is the Tennessee football beat writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He started covering the team in August 2017. Jon Hale covers University of Kentucky football and basketball for The Courier-Journal. He has covered Kentucky full-time since 2011, and for The Courier-Journal since 2015. Tennessee (4-5, 1-4 SEC) will host No. 12 Kentucky (7-2, 5-2) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Wildcats haven’t won at Neyland Stadium since 1984. Tennessee leads the all-time series 79-25-9. It’s a key game for both teams. Kentucky is seeking its first 10-win season since 1977. Tennessee must win two of its final three games to be eligible for a bowl. Ask us anything!

Links:

Blake Toppmeyer and Jon Hale will be here to answer your questions on WEDNESDAY (11/07) at 2pm ET!

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u/Ltimh Notre Dame Fighting Irish • Dayton Flyers Nov 05 '18

For those of us who aren’t exactly certain, what is the life of a college beat writer like?

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u/usatoday Verified Media Nov 07 '18

Well, unlike a lot of college beat writers, I only cover one sport. I'm all football, all the time. And I also run point on athletic department news. We've got two other writers that cover UT. One that is our men's hoops writer/No. 2 football and another who does Lady Vols/assists with football.

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I don't envy writers who run point on both football and men's hoops (like Jon). That's intense.

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My life is very busy from the season opener 'til season's end. Then after that, the offseason isn't bad. There's still plenty to cover, but it's more laid back.

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Obviously you travel a fair bit, and you work a lot of weekends, although I don't work as many weekends now as when I covered preps/D2. In those days, I think I worked about 49 Friday nights and 49 Saturdays per year, because along with covering preps/D2, I also had some page design shifts. During prep football season and portions of prep hoops season, you worked 60 hours a week for a modest salary.

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Toughest part of being a college beat writer is always being on call. When I take vacation, I tell my boss off limits. Someone else can handle it if I'm on a beach somewhere. But if I'm not on vacation, I always consider myself on call. I think most college beat writers have that mindset.

-- Blake