The Ohio State University School of Communication and The Lantern present:
BUCKEYES VS. TTUN: THE 2026 RIVALRY COUNTDOWN
Buzz, Powerplay and Predictions
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to cover The Game? Join five past Sports Editors of The Lantern as they discuss their experiences covering The Game across the decades!
This year's webinar will be moderated by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer '02 and features contributions from Noah Weiskopf '25 (CBS Sports), Tim May '77 (The Tim May Show, Columbus Dispatch - retired), Zack Meisel '11 (The Athletic) Aliyya Jackson '18 (ESPN) and current faculty adviser Spencer Hunt.
Speakers
Albert Breer (Sports Illustrated)
A 2002 graduate of The Ohio State University, Albert Breer is a senior NFL reporter for Sports Illustrated, and an NFL insider for Fox Sports 1, and analyst for NBC Sports Boston and 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. Breer started his career as a high school reporter for the MetroWest Daily News, before covering the Patriots for the paper and its parent publication, the Boston Herald, from 2005-07. He then covered the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News from 2007-08, and the NFL at large for the Sporting News from 2008-09, the Boston Globe from 2009-10, and NFL Network from 2010-16, and has regularly contributed as insider for programs such as the Rich Eisen Show, Dan Patrick Show and the NFL on Prime since joining SI in 2016.
Spencer Hunt (The Lantern)
Spencer Hunt is an assistant professor of practice in journalism and The Lantern's faculty adviser. He has spent more than 20 years as a reporter in Illinois and Ohio, including reporting roles with the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Columbus Dispatch.
Aliyyah Jackson (ESPN)
Associate Producer, ESPN
Ohio State '19 | Former Sports Director at The Lantern
Aliyyah Jackson is an associate producer at the Worldwide Leader in Sports ESPN where she has been working since graduating from Ohio State in 2019. In her time at the company, Aliyyah has worked on a variety of shows and projects including College Gameday (Football and Basketball), NBA Countdown, the WNCAA Tournament and Sportscenter. She is currently working on projects in preparation of Super Bowl LXI, ESPN's first‑ever Super Bowl production. In her time at Ohio State, Aliyyah participated in a variety of clubs and activities, including being a founding member of the NABJ chapter at Ohio State and serving as Sports Director for Lantern TV for the 2018-19 school year.
Tim May (former Columbus Dispatch)
Tim May's legendary career in sports journalism has spanned more than 50 years. From his position as sports editor of the Lufkin (Texas) Daily News he moved to Columbus in 1976 to attend The Ohio State University's School of Journalism and took a part-time job with the sportswriting staff of The Columbus Dispatch.
For The Lantern in 1977 he covered Buckeye baseball and served as news editor.
From 1984 and for thirty-five seasons he covered Ohio State Buckeyes football, among other sports, and became an authority on the football program and the Ohio State–Michigan rivalry.
He was named the National College Football Beat Writer of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) in 2014 and Ohio Sportswriter of the Year in 2017.
Tim retired from the Dispatch after the 2018 season, but he remains active in sports media. He continues to cover the Buckeyes and the Big Ten through podcasts and digital shows, including The Tim May Show.
Zack Meisel (The Athletic)
Ohio State class of 2011
Sports editor 2009-10, Editor-in-chief 2010-11
Zack Meisel is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball. Zack was named the Ohio Sportswriter of the Year for 2021 and 2024 by the National Sports Media Association. He has been on the MLB beat since graduating from Ohio State in 2011 and is the author of four books, including "Cleveland Rocked," the tale of the 1995 Cleveland Indians. He is now a senior writer for The Athletic.
Noah Weiskopf (247Sports)
Noah Weiskopf covers North Carolina athletics for 247Sports. He served as the sports editor of The Lantern during the 2024-25 year, where he led the football coverage during Ohio State's national championship-winning season. Noah graduated from Ohio State in 2025 and is originally from Cleveland, Ohio.
