Florida State’s Mark Rodin Receives Second-Annual SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award

On Wednesday night, Sports Video Group honored Florida State’s Mark Rodin with the second-annual SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award.

Florida State’s Mark Rodin accepts the SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award on Wednesday night.

Rodin, who was presented the award by last year’s inaugural recipient, UCLA’s Ken Norris, was touched by the recognition.

“I am humbled and honored to be named the Pioneer Award recipient this year by the Sports Video Group,” he said. “To be recognized by your peers and colleagues is the highest honor you can receive in this industry, so I thank you.”

Rodin, who has spent more than 20 years with Florida State University and currently serves as director of Seminole Productions, has developed a reputation throughout the industry for his forward thinking and his risk-taking approach to broadcast technology and video production.

Rodin is presented the Pioneer Award by last year’s inaugural recipient, Ken Norris of UCLA.

“Throughout my career at Florida State, as I look back on a lot of the decisions and the choices I’ve made, there’s probably some I would have done differently, but one thing I never did regret was being the first to try something,” he continued. “Does it require more work? Absolutely. Does it always work out? Not always … I think, when you work at a place you love with people you love to work with, it really doesn’t feel like work.”

When Rodin first arrived at Florida State, it didn’t take long before some of the biggest names on campus started to take notice. One of his first productions was a behind-the-scenes documentary on newly hired basketball coach Pat Kennedy called “Pat Kennedy: Beginning of an Era.”

Soon after, Rodin was producing all the videos for Bobby Bowden and the FSU football program. In 1989, he oversaw the football coaches’ conversion from film to video and took over the day-to-day operation of the coaches video department. In his role of overseeing that department, Rodin also made the conversion to computerized scouting systems.

Rodin celebrates the award with his wife, Lisa.

Rodin’s list of career milestones is a lengthy one. In 1999, he oversaw the installation and operation of FSU’s first videoboard at Doak Campbell Stadium. In 2006, Seminole Productions moved to a new state-of-the-art production facility in the new Moore Athletic Center that Rodin helped plan and design. In 2008, he was instrumental in the design, planning, and implementation of an upgraded control room and new football stadium videoboards and ribbon boards.

Rodin is also pioneering the use of stereoscopic-3D video in sports applications. He is currently doing research on application and uses of stereoscopic-3D video for coaching and sports production.

Demonstrating his talent at even a young age, Rodin, a 1987 graduate of Florida State, earned a bachelor’s degree in media production and was named “Most Outstanding Media Production” student in both 1986 and 1987.

SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award Honorees
2012: Ken Norris, University of California, Los Angeles
2013: Mark Rodin, Florida State University

Brandon Costa contributed to this report.