Midco Sports, the media entity that broadcasts University of North Dakota, South Dakota State, and University of South Dakota athletics, has recently made the decision to lay off several employees, including well-known TV personalities. Sources have revealed that on-air voices Brian Shawn, David Brown, Jody Norstedt, and others were informed of the layoffs on Tuesday, citing budget cuts as the reason for the moves.
In a statement from Paige Pearson Meyer, the vice president of corporate communications, Midco Sports plans to focus on enhancing streamed content on Midco Sports Plus and partnership content with universities on its linear channels Midco Sports and Midco Sports Two. As a result of this shift, the company announced that high school sports and some original programming will no longer be produced or broadcast on their linear channels, leading to the difficult decision to reduce the number of full-time team members.
Despite the layoffs, Midco Sports holds contracts to air various athletic events, including UND football, hockey, and basketball games, SDSU and USD football and basketball games, and Augustana hockey. The company has assured these schools’ athletic departments that the changes will not affect their existing contracts. Bill Chaves, the athletic director at UND, confirmed this information and expressed confidence in the ongoing partnerships with Midco Sports.
Notable personalities like Brian Shawn, Jody Norstedt, and David Brown, among others, were affected by the layoffs. Shawn, known for his play-by-play duties for NDSU football before transitioning to UND football and basketball, Norstedt, whose focus was high school athletics in North Dakota, and Brown, the voice of Augustana hockey, are some of the individuals impacted by the recent restructuring. Despite the changes, some employees like Jay Elsen and Taylor Budge were retained in respective locations to continue their roles.
Midco Sports also previously televised the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Summit League men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. While the recent layoffs have had an impact on the organization, Midco Sports remains committed to its partnerships with universities and plans on enhancing its content delivery through streaming services and continued collaboration with schools’ athletic departments.