This is part four of a six-part storytelling series, filled with real-world examples for telling the stories of people in your athletic department and community

Storytelling Series: Athletes | Coaches | Alumni | Donors | Staff

August 14, 2026

Do you know the fans that stand behind the your student-athletes and teams? Every athletic department has fans whose connection runs much deeper than the final score.

They’re the season-ticket holder who hasn’t missed a home game in twenty years. The family whose children now cheer for the same team their grandparents once did. The parents who drive fifteen hours for rivalry weekend. The student who camped out to be first in line for tickets. The young fan who fell in love with the program because one player took time to sign an autograph.

Those people are part of your program’s story.

Most athletic departments spend nearly all of their storytelling focused on the people on the field, court or track. The fans who fill the stands, travel across the country and pass traditions from one generation to the next rarely become the story themselves.

So, here are five story formats for your fans that you can put on the calendar right now.

1. Why I’m a Fan

Every fan has an origin story. Maybe it started with attending games as a child. Maybe they were once a student-athlete. Maybe a single game, coach or player made them fall in love with the program. Those stories explain why your school is a special place.

The format is simple: Feature one fan and let them tell the story of how they became connected to your program. The focus isn’t on attendance or loyalty, but rather on the moment the relationship began. These stories are relatable because every other fan can see a little of themselves in them.

Three questions that consistently produce good answers:

1. When did you first become a fan?
2. What made this program feel different from any other?
3. Why do you keep coming back?

Best timing: Year-round, especially before season openers, home games, or ticket campaigns.

Example: Maryland: “Why I Give: Steve Schanwald”

2. My Favorite Memory

Ask a fan about their favorite game and you’ll usually get a story, not the score. It was a comeback, an upset, a celebration that spilled out onto the streets afterward; maybe it was something smaller like bringing their child to their first game.

The format is simple: Invite a fan to relive the moment they’ll never forget. Let them explain what happened and who they shared it with. The emotional connection matters more than the historical significance.

Three questions that consistently produce good answers:

1. What’s the game or moment that comes to mind?
2. Who were you with?
3. Why has that memory stayed with you?

Best timing: Around rivalry games, anniversaries or during the offseason.

Example: Northwestern: “Russ Birkos’ Favorite Memory”

3. Through Their Eyes

Sometimes the best way to tell a game story is from the stands instead of the sideline. A road trip. Homecoming. Senior Day. A conference championship. The event is the same, but the perspective changes.

The format is simple: Follow one fan or family through an event day. Document why they came, what traditions they have, and what the experience means to them.

Three questions that consistently produce good answers:

1. What’s your game-day tradition?
2. Why are days like today important?
3. What keeps bringing you back?

Best timing: Homecoming, rivalry games and championship events.

Example: “Navy’s football rebirth through the eyes of a fan”

4. Because of College Sports…

Every athletic department changes lives beyond the student-athletes competing. A fan met their spouse at a game. A child decided to attend the university. A local family found community. An alumnus reconnected with classmates. The stories about impact are the ones that outweigh the wins on the field.

The format is simple: Build a recurring series around letting fans finish the sentence or share why your department matters so much to them. The answers become short first-person stories about the role athletics has played in their lives. These pieces naturally reinforce why college athletics go far beyond competition.

Three questions that consistently produce good answers:

1. How has this program changed your life?
2. What opportunity or relationship exists because of athletics?
3. Why is this community important to you?

Best timing: Giving days, anniversaries, homecoming or community campaigns.

Example: App State: “A Mountaineer Impact: Woody and Barbara Clore”

5. Fan Spotlight

Not every great fan story needs a dramatic life event. Sometimes it’s enough to celebrate the people who show up every year. The student who never misses a volleyball match. The retired couple traveling to every road football game. The mascot superfan. The youth-team regulars sitting behind the bench.

The format is simple: Highlight one fan each month and tell the story of their connection to the department. These pieces become a recurring celebration of the people who create your home-field advantage.

Three questions that consistently produce good answers:

1. What keeps bringing you back season after season?
2. What’s something fans might not know about you?
3. Which athlete or coach has made the biggest impression on you?

Best timing: Monthly throughout the academic year.

Example: Minnesota: “Why Will You Be There? The Doepner Family”

Making It Repeatable

Fan-focused storytelling often feels like one more thing to create after the game recap, postgame interviews, social graphics and everything else on the calendar.

But many of these formats don’t require a traditional interview at all.

That’s the problem FanWord’s Online Interviews and Feature Stories features were built to change:

• Create an Online Interview and set up questions
• Send anyone a link, especially via an email newsletter or social media
• They respond on their own time from their phone via audio, video, or text
• Every answer lands in one place — no email chains, no chasing, no transcribing
• From there, one-click import into Feature Stories turns raw responses into a working draft
• Customize the voice and length of each story
• Use our built-in review process to speed up collaboration with fan interviewees
• Your team spends its time editing and publishing instead of collecting and formatting

If you want to see how programs are running series like these at scale, we’d love to show you.

That’s it for the series! Now that you’ve seen all six sets of storytelling guides, you’re ready to push long-form content all year long.

Missed one? Here’s a recap: Athletes | Coaches | Alumni | Donors | Staff

See what FanWord can do for your communications team: 
➡️ Request a demo using the contact form below
➡️ Reach out to our CEO directly to talk through your team’s workflow