University Academy 92 (UA92) students will have access to world class sports media facilities following a new five-year partnership deal with Lancashire County Cricket Club.
From September, UA92’s media students will be taught inside Lancashire Cricket’s iconic Players and Media Centre at Emirates Old Trafford, for select classes.
The space, directly opposite UA92’s existing Old Trafford Campus, will act as a live, state of the art learning environment for students on both Sports Journalism and Sports Media and Communications degree courses.
The space will supplement existing TV, podcast studios and editing suites available to students on UA92’s campus.
The opportunity will provide students with hands-on experience in an elite environment where global sports broadcasters operate.
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Lancashire Cricket’s senior leadership and first team will also deliver guest lectures on campus, giving students valuable insights into the operations of a high-performing sports business.
Daniel Gidney, CEO at Lancashire Cricket, said: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with our neighbours at UA92 by announcing a new-look five year partnership.
“We are proud to open the doors of Emirates Old Trafford’s Players and Media Centre to the next generation of UA92 students and believe that the opportunity to learn at an iconic venue such as Emirates Old Trafford will provide a truly unique experience.
“I strongly believe that the long-term visions between the organisations align and the team at Lancashire Cricket are all looking forward to working closely with UA92 over the next five years and beyond.”
Sara Prowse, CEO of UA92, said: “Working with world-class sporting organisations like Lancashire Cricket underlines our commitment to enhancing student employability while helping to build new talent pipelines for the sports and media industries.
“At UA92 we show students that sport is so much more than what happens on the pitch. This partnership will open doors to business roles, media careers and opportunities across the industry.
“It’s important for us to work with organisations that share our values around community and young talent, and with Lancashire Cricket right on our doorstep, there couldn’t be a more perfectly placed partner.”
UA92’s students will take over an entire floor of Lancashire Cricket’s live broadcast operation in the Players and Media Centre. The floor will be transformed into a state-of-the-art teaching and content production space, ahead of the new academic year in September.
As part of the partnership, students will also be matched with mentors from Lancashire Cricket’s senior leadership team and take part in live project briefs designed to tackle real-world challenges for the club.
The collaboration also guarantees three paid internships each season, including one highly sought-after role working directly with Lancashire Cricket’s first team squad.
Alongside this, media students will have the opportunity to join post-match press conferences and contribute articles for the club’s matchday programme and Spin magazine.
UA92 is a higher education institution co-founded by Gary Neville, the Class of ’92 and Lancaster University. UA92 takes a deliberately different approach to higher education, placing supportive career-focused teaching at the centre of every degree.
