St. James student broadcaster gets backstage look at ESPN’s “College GameDay”

Mary Claire Zacharias spent last Saturday inside Allen Fieldhouse, getting an up-close look at the profession she hopes to pursue on one of college basketball’s biggest stages.

The St. James Academy sophomore and aspiring broadcaster shadowed ESPN analyst and former Tennessee basketball player Andraya Carter during ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcast ahead of Kansas’ men’s basketball game against BYU.

Zacharias’ path to broadcasting began after a neck injury just prior to ninth grade ended her participation in contact sports, redirecting her competitive drive toward storytelling and analysis. Since then, she has developed her skills through broadcasting opportunities at St. James Academy, where her preparation shows in her broadcast analysis.

That same proactive approach led her to reach out to Carter months before GameDay arrived in Lawrence.

“It started with a simple email I sent to Andraya last fall sharing my work and asking for her advice,” Zacharias said. “She said if they ever had a show in Lawrence that I could come shadow her.”

When Allen Fieldhouse was selected to host “GameDay” for the Jan. 31 matchup between Kansas and BYU, the opportunity became real.

“Once it was confirmed GameDay was coming, she said that I could shadow her and I had the best time,” Zacharias said.

The broadcast, which featured a panel of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, and Seth Greenberg alongside Carter, marked the 13th time “College GameDay” aired from Allen Fieldhouse and centered on a matchup between the Big 12 contenders in a bout the Jayhawks went on to win 90-82. Star-power was abundant as both teams featured potential No. 1 2026 NBA Draft picks in KU freshman Darryn Peterson and BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa.

For Zacharias, the behind-the-scenes atmosphere was just as impactful as the on-air production.

“It was fantastic,” she said. “All the guys were so amazing and the camera crew seemed like they loved their jobs. You could see their passion for their job very easily.”

One moment in particular stood out.

“I will never forget when Andraya walked out of the tunnel and said my name and introduced herself,” Zacharias said. “It was a moment and feeling I will never forget. She is so genuine and is for the people. She went through her whole schedule with me and everything. It was beyond amazing!”

Zacharias also drew professional takeaways.

“From the first email to our conversations on Saturday, she wants to make sure that I am having fun, working hard and getting more and more reps in,” Zacharias said. “She was really focused on the importance of keeping a schedule, both for how she prepares for games and for her own well-being.”

Carter emphasized the work and preparation necessary beyond what viewers see on air.

“While she gets a lot of stats from the ESPN sports information team, it is her responsibility to watch ALL game film, make notes, do research, interview players and coaches - so she likes to have a repeatable process to follow that works best for her,” Zacharias said.

This summer, Zacharias will attend The Verne Lundquist Sports Journalism Camp at the University of Texas in Austin to further sharpen her craft. With a goal in mind of turning sports broadcasting and/or commentating into a career, Zacharias is on the right track through her grounded approach.

“My focus right now is to contribute positively to each broadcast we do at my high school,” Zacharias said. “I want to make an impact on everyone I meet.”