What is a Telecast Party?

A Lafayette vs. Lehigh Telecast party is a casual gathering for Lafayette AND Lehigh alumni, family, and friends to watch the rivalry game together in November. This event brings the friendly rivalry right to your hometown! Each event needs a Lafayette and/or Lehigh volunteer host to plan the party. The Lafayette and Lehigh hosts work together to coordinate the party. The parties are usually at a bar, brewery, restaurant, or the host’s home and can range from about 10-50 people in attendance, depending where you live. The alumni offices for both Lafayette and Lehigh help support the hosts as they plan the parties for fellow alumni.

How to host a Telecast Party

  • Confirm you can host the event with the Office of Alumni Engagement by calling (610) 330-5040.
  • Find a location that can play the game. They must have ESPN+ or a channel* that will be airing the game. *additional channels do not get confirmed until September.
  • Send an email* to local alumni inviting them to the watch party. *The alumni office will provide an email list of contactable alumni living in your area.
  • Receive a box of Lafayette swag and event materials, provided by the Alumni Office, to hand out at the party.
  • Elect a volunteer to help you keep attendance at the watch party. Enjoy watching Lafayette beat Lehigh with fellow alumni, family, and friends!

Time Commitment

  • September – Commit to hosting an event Early
  • October – Confirm the location
  • Mid October – Send a save the date to local alumni
  • Mid November – Execute event

Volunteer Host Tips & Tricks

Communication & Outreach

Reaching out to local alumni provides a personal touch that will attract more guests to the party. The alumni office will advertise Telecast on LeopardLink and social media channels, but the most successful events are ones that have alumni to alumni communication leading up to the party. When you plan to send a personal save the date to local alumni, please use the Bcc feature to protect the privacy of alumni email addresses. Each party will have its own registration page on LeopardLink.

Finding a location

The sooner the location is confirmed, the longer we have to promote the event. Try to find a location that doesn’t require a minimum spend and/or room fee. Most locations will allow you reserve a few tables or you can find a spot that has enough space without having to reserve an area. You can be as creative as you’d like when hosting the event! For example, work with the venue to serve a signature drink. It is best practice to go to the venue no later than a week before the event to test the TVs and audio. This will avoid having to scramble the day of if the channel or connection isn’t good. If you have a subscription to ESPN+, but the location doesn’t, see if you can use a laptop and HDMI cable.

Day of the Party

It is VERY important to collect accurate attendance! Every host will receive an attendance sheet in the swag box that must be filled out and sent back to the alumni office. The swag box will include: host gift, attendee gifts, Lafayette banner, nametags, sharpie, pens, attendance sheet/QR code, Lafayette swag (beaded necklaces, buttons, temporary tattoos, etc.), and other informational materials. As the host, you hand out these goodies and materials!

For more information, please contact Jules Fama at famaj@lafayette.edu.