As CJ Boone ’26 and TJ Overturf ’29 settled into the press box at Hadzic Field in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a herd of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Mustang fans crowded the stands. Excitement built for a historic moment – Mount Mercy University’s home opener for football, the first in program history.
Boone and Overturf weren’t there to cover the Mustangs as a rival team. Instead, they participated in this historic moment as part of the growing combined university network between St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy Universities.
“It's truly an honor,” Boone reflected on the broadcast. “As a broadcaster, your job is to tell the story. I have the honor of telling the story of this historic day. Being a part of something historic is what each broadcaster dreams of. I feel very fortunate to be a part of something this special for everyone at MMU and to keep building the relationship between both schools.”
KALA Radio, owned and operated by St. Ambrose University, provided live coverage of the Mount Mercy University Mustangs home opener against William Woods University. The broadcast included a half-hour of pregame coverage, and was available over-the-air on KALA 106.1 FM in the Quad Cities and KALA HD2 on TuneIn.
Boone and Overturf provided play-by-play commentary from Hadzic Field. Assisting with the production was a full crew of KALA students at home in the KALA studios in Davenport, Iowa.
"Live broadcasts such as this demonstrate the strength of our combined university network," said Brett Billman, PhD, chair of Communication, Marketing, and Sales at St. Ambrose University. "Students are working in a professional environment, covering a Mount Mercy athletic event for audiences throughout Eastern Iowa and the Quad Cities. It is a meaningful example of collaboration that benefits students, institutions, and the communities we serve."
The event showcases how shared resources and academic expertise across both universities provide students with hands-on opportunities in sports broadcasting, media production, communication, and digital storytelling while supporting Mustang athletics.
“The tradition of college football and the changing seasons go together hand-in-hand,” said Dave Baker, operations manager of KALA Radio. “It's exciting to be a part of this new tradition at MMU.”
In its inaugural season, Mount Mercy football seeks its first win in program history as they prepare for their homecoming game vs. William Penn on Saturday, Oct. 3.
