Students come to college with hopes of thriving in their career field, but it’s not every day one is named influential in their field just months after graduating.
However, Hayes Fawcett changed that perception when the December Northwestern State University of Louisiana graduate rose to the top in sports media.
According to an article by Sports Illustrated, “The sports conversation is also driven by influencers — social stars, style icons, tastemakers and opinion shapers — and business titans who know that the negotiating table can be as competitive as any field or court. Power can shift, but right now in 2024, these are the 50 most influential figures and forces in sports.”
Fawcett, national sports reporter for leading media and technology company On3 Sports, was recently named one of the “Most Influential Figures in Sports.”
According to the article by Sports Illustrated, standing alongside fellow On3 reporter Joe Tipton, the duo has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram and 300,000 on the social media platform X. Fawcett was shocked to receive the title for his coverage of college and prep athlete news.
“When you read over that, you think it’s cool to be on this, and then you see people like Lebron James, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Tiger Woods,” Fawcett said. “To see my name there alongside theirs — I mean like the title says, ‘one of the most influential people in sports’ — it was a surreal moment. I was extremely in awe.”
From a young age, Fawcett’s passion for sports has only grown, and he hasn’t really known anything else.
“Ever since I was about 5 years old, sports have always been a huge part of my life,” Fawcett said. “My parents got me into sports, and growing up, there was always a football game, basketball game or baseball game that I was playing in.”
With his foot already in the sports industry, Fawcett began sports reporting in the seventh grade not knowing it would lead to his professional journalism career.
“I started doing what I do, which is breaking news, where athletes are going to go to college and where players in the transfer portal are going to go to their next destination,” Fawcett said. “I kept doing that until I built a big following on Instagram and Twitter ( the social media platform X). The boss and CEO of the company first made a company called 27 Sports, ran it for a few years and then created On3.”
Fawcett started working for On3 Sports during the fall of his freshman year of college when the company first took off.
“The CEO saw my work and saw the platform that I had then reached out to me,” Fawcett said.
Fawcett worked full-time in college, which was very daunting with its challenges.
“There were countless times where I would be in class, and I’m getting news that needs to be broken during class. I would have to get on my computer and sneak in and do some work for the job while in class,” Fawcett said.
During his time at NSU, he enjoyed every minute of working on the various projects in the Department of New Media, Journalism and Communication Arts.
“I tell people all the time if you’re looking to get a communications degree at Northwestern, then it’s really the place to be,” Fawcett said. “You have so many different opportunities to get better in so many different realms of communication, and, on top of that, a lot of the work you do is hands-on, so you really do get that real-world experience.”
Thankful for his college education, he keeps looking forward to his future within the sports industry.
“In terms of my job, I’m looking to continue to grow and report on news and be as good as I can be in all aspects of the job as possible,” Fawcett said. “I just want to get better in every way that I can. It’s definitely enjoyable doing something that you love and are passionate about.”
After his hard work and passion led him to where he is today in the sports journalism field, NSU alum Fawcett has left a lasting impact on sports media.
