Lucas Patton ’28 Translates His Chapman Experience to a Global Broadcast More than 125 live productions helped prepare the bilingual broadcast journalism major for an international role at SoFi Stadium.

When a Paraguayan television crew discovered it was missing a piece of equipment before a FIFA World Cup match at SoFi Stadium, Lucas Patton ’28 found himself at the center of an unexpected three-way conversation. 

Patton, who grew up in Chile, spent nearly 30 minutes translating between the Spanish-speaking crew and his supervisors as they worked out a solution. 

The moment brought together two parts of his life: his fluency in Spanish and the broadcasting experience he had built at Chapman University. 

Patton participated in the FIFA Host Broadcast (HB) Intern Programme as a commentator control room intern. Depending on the match, his team monitored audio from eight to 25 commentator units, adjusting levels when needed, and helping international announcers with technical questions. 

Listening to broadcasters call matches in several languages offered Patton, an aspiring commentator, another kind of education. 

At Chapman, frequent opportunities to work on live games helped Patton turn an early interest in sports media into professional experience. He first explored the field in high school, photographing and filming games for the lacrosse team. As a broadcast journalism and documentary major, he found a community in the student-run Chapman Sports Broadcast Network (CSBN). 

Patton estimates that he worked more than 125 games during his first two years, gaining experience in commentary, production and camera operation. He credits Dodge College with giving students access to professional equipment and CSBN faculty adviser David Goedhart with encouraging them to explore what student broadcasters can accomplish. 

“CSBN is incredible,” Patton said. “I owe everything to them.” 

Repeated practice built the confidence and instincts Patton needed for a larger live production. At SoFi Stadium, he worked with close friends from CSBN who had already completed dozens of broadcasts together. 

The experience expanded Patton’s sense of where broadcasting might take him. He hopes to live in Europe after college and work in soccer broadcasting. The international crews at SoFi Stadium gave him a glimpse of that future. 

“I grew up glued to my TV screen watching the World Cup,” Patton said. 

Now, he encourages other students to pursue opportunities that may initially seem beyond their reach. 

“Don’t be afraid to apply to things that seem bigger than what you think or consider yourself to be,” Patton said. “With Chapman, I know it’s possible.”