WE COVER YOUR TEAM. FOR YOU.
Diehard Sports Network is hyperlocal college sports media for the fan bases national media abandoned.
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THE PROBLEM
More than 60 FBS programs outside the Power 4 conferences receive little to no consistent professional coverage. The local papers that used to cover them have gutted their sports desks. The national outlets don't care unless it's a playoff story.
But the fans never left. They're still in the stands on Saturday. Still checking their phones at halftime for news that isn't coming. 80% of them say they're dissatisfied with the coverage they get. 77% say they'd pay for something better.
The demand exists. The model broke. We're here to fix it.
WHAT WE DO
Diehard Sports Network puts a dedicated publisher on every campus we serve. Not a freelancer filing one story a week. A publisher who knows the program, has the sources and is accountable to the fan base.
They're backed by a network-level editorial infrastructure that lets one person produce at a level that used to require a full newsroom. Daily coverage. Insider notes. Podcasts. Video. Transfer portal tracking. Delivered through newsletters, the website and a private community.
WHY WE DO IT
Because these fan bases deserve the same quality of coverage that Alabama and Ohio State get. Because loyalty shouldn't come with an asterisk based on which conference your school plays in. Because the fans who stuck around through coaching changes, conference realignment and budget cuts are the realest fans in the sport.
We're starting in Alabama with four schools: UAB, Troy, Jacksonville State and South Alabama. We'll prove it here and then take it national.
OUR MISSION
Build and sustain the sports communities underserved fans deserve.
Diehard Sports Network exists to serve passionate college sports communities that have been left behind by the economics of traditional media. We combine trusted local expertise, professional journalism, community and technology to give those fans consistent coverage of the teams they love.
OUR VISION
If we succeed, thousands of stories get told. Local voices build sustainable businesses. Businesses connect meaningfully with their communities. And fans receive the coverage and community they have always deserved.
We are building a national network where passionate sports communities no longer depend on whether traditional media considers them large enough to matter — one community at a time.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Humanity is the point.
Technology exists to empower people. Relationships, trust and human judgment sit at the center of everything we do. We use technology aggressively because of what it allows people to accomplish — while remembering that people give the work meaning.
Purpose before activity.
We are intentional about where we spend our time and resources. Every story, partnership and initiative connects to a purpose we understand: Who does this serve? Why does it matter?
Do the work.
We keep commitments. We prepare before we show up. We finish what we start. Technology creates leverage, but leverage multiplies what we bring to it. We respect the work enough to do it well.
Serve the community.
Know the fans. Know the school. Know the history. Know the businesses. Know the people who have spent decades caring about something the rest of the world may barely notice. Listen to them. Show up. Tell their stories. Create places where they belong.
Our communities are more than audiences or markets. They are the reason Diehard exists. Their trust must be earned continually.
Sports hit different here because community matters here.
FROM THE CEO
I've spent decades in sports media — from leading day-to-day newsroom strategy for CBSSports.com to building one of Alabama's first news websites at the Birmingham Post-Herald. I've watched the industry hollow out the coverage that matters most to local communities.
Diehard Sports Network exists because I got tired of watching it happen. These programs and their fans deserve better. We're building the infrastructure to deliver it.
— Tim Stephens, Founder & CEO
THE STARTING 22
22 founding memberships per school — for the fans who want to help launch professional coverage for their community. Your membership directly funds a publisher launch for your school. Pay for one year, you're in for life. Elite access. Direct line to the publisher and CEO. Your name on the site permanently. Available for all 70 schools across 6 conferences.
Claim Your SeatPREMIUM MEMBERSHIP
Insider content, recruiting news, private community access and a direct line to your school's publisher. $10/month or $100/year.
SubscribeBECOME A DIEHARD PUBLISHER
You don't have to be a seasoned journalist or sales professional — but it helps. Diehard Sports Network provides the tools and training to help you succeed. What you do need is an entrepreneurial spirit and the work ethic to give diehard fans the kind of coverage they and their team crave and deserve.
Apply to Be a PublisherQuestions? Reach us at tim@diehardsportsnetwork.com