War Eagle Productions and War Eagle Creative win multiple national awards

AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn Athletics' War Eagle Productions and War Eagle Creative units took home multiple national awards this summer. 

War Eagle Productions took home the Sports Video Group Award for Outstanding Live Non-Game Production for its show open for the Auburn men's basketball game against Ole Miss, receiving the award in June at the 16th annual College Sports Media Awards in Atlanta.

War Eagle Creative, working alongside War Eagle Productions, brought home the premier award, the Golden Matrix Award for Best Overall University Production at the annual Information Display and Entertainment Association Conference in Saint Louis, Missouri last week. The group edged out Texas and Oklahoma to win the award for the eighth straight year.

"Our War Eagle Productions and War Eagle Creative units continue to be recognized as the industry standard," Senior Associate Athletic Director for Fan Experience and Creative Strategy Paris Buchanan said. "Earning this national recognition for their efforts this year is something we are all very proud of as we continue to raise the bar for future success. It's a total team effort, starting with David Pedersen and Morgan Smith leading the charge."

In his fifth year at Auburn, Pedersen serves as Assistant Athletic Director of War Eagle Productions while Smith, in her seventh year, is Associate Athletic Director for War Eagle Creative.
 
"We're really proud of this award because it took the collective effort of a lot of people," Pedersen said. "You work in the video and athletics industry because you thrive on things like storytelling, technology, and teamwork. We were able to utilize that passion to showcase the basketball team, the atmosphere of Neville Arena, and Auburn on a national level."

"I'm incredibly proud of our War Eagle Creative team for their contributions to Auburn winning the Best Overall University Production award at IDEA for the eighth consecutive year," Smith said. "This honor reflects the team's dedication, creativity, hard work, and the continued commitment to collaboration within our War Eagle Productions and Fan Experience units. It's truly a total team effort."