Mike Still is the sports information and social media coordinator for the U of M Bisons and previously served as a sports reporter and sports editor at the Manitoban. He holds a bachelor of arts in English from the U of M and a bachelor of journalism from the University of King’s College. In addition to writing recaps for the Bisons’ home games, Still helps lead a team that fans never see.
“Writing is a small part of what I do,” Still said. On game days, there is a rotating team of roughly 30 staff members that includes camera operators, broadcasters, writers, photographers and other media personnel.
Some other key leaders on the team are Jennifer Everard, the game day and events coordinator, and Neil Noonan, the digital media and production coordinator.
By July, Still prepares for the upcoming Bisons season by reaching out to staff members from the previous season to see if they would like to come back. By late August, schedules for the staff are finalized.
“We’ve worked really hard to develop a culture here where people want to come back,” said Still. That culture — friendly, low-pressure and fun — is a major reason why they retain staff year after year.
Each week, Still and Noonan coordinate scheduling, updates and crew communication. “If we don’t have [communication], we have nothing,” said Still. “We’re always there for each other and will always help the other person out. That is paramount.”
The biggest behind-the-scenes effort this season was hosting the 2025 U-Sports women’s volleyball championship — an event that required about a year of preparation. Planning began the previous summer with a core committee of around a dozen people meeting monthly, then biweekly as the season ramped up.
“We have a history of success with hosting national championships here,” said Still. With experience in hosting track and field and men’s volleyball championships, the team was capable of hosting a high-level event.
One standout detail about the championship was the use of a Taraflex floor — a specialized green surface used in major international volleyball competitions, including the Olympics. Unlike the standard hardwood with the Bisons logo, the Taraflex provided a neutral court aesthetic, symbolizing the national scale of the event. “It sets the tone right away,” Still said.
The process of laying the Taraflex floor down began on the Monday before the tournament and required coordination from the facilities’ team. It remained in place through the championship weekend and was only removed the following Monday.
After home games, equipment has to be packed, media uploaded, sponsors checked and post-game interviews wrapped up. For Still and the crew, that can mean an additional four hours of work after the game has ended.
“Honestly, it comes together pretty quickly and finishes pretty quickly because of how many people help out and how strong the team is,” he said. “That really does make difference.”
Still wanted to underscore how the championship served as a powerful reminder of the talent showcased by the U-Sports women’s volleyball teams across the country. “This is the highest level of amateur sport in our country,” said Still. “This is [an] incredibly elite level of athleticism from every team, and that was on full display in the national final.”
