Expanding BuffStampede’s reach through strategic visual storytelling
A multi-platform creative strategy built to grow audience, increase engagement, and reinforce brand voice during a surge in national attention.
BuffStampede.com, an affiliate publisher of 247Sports owned by CBS Sports Digital, has been a trusted voice in CU football coverage for over two decades—known for its impartial reporting and loyal community. The platform has built a reputation for reliable coverage and active engagement, particularly through its strong presence on Twitter, YouTube, and active message boards.
But in 2023, the game changed.
The arrival of Coach Deion Sanders brought national attention, new energy, and a wave of younger, visually driven fans. BuffStampede’s existing audience remained strong, but the platform needed to evolve, strategically and creatively, to stay relevant in a shifting media landscape.
✳ THE CHALLENGE
Adapting to a new era of college football media
BuffStampede was well-established, but its limited platform presence and lean structure posed key challenges:
How do you modernize a respected brand without overwhelming a one-person operation?
How do you engage a new, younger audience while maintaining credibility with your core readers?
And how do you stand out visually, when national media outlets are suddenly covering your beat?
At the same time, the internal structure had to be respected: the client had collaborators and interns, but no full-time design or content production team. This meant any creative growth had to be high-impact and low-friction.
✳ THE SOLUTION
I led a visual content strategy designed to help BuffStampede evolve without losing focus.
The approach was shaped by three priorities:
Strengthening the brand through intentional, visual storytelling
Expanding to new platforms with audience-specific content
Building a system that could scale within limited resources
This meant designing content that felt consistent, human, and distinct, while also being sustainable for a lean team. Working in close collaboration with the publisher and extended team of interns and contributors, I helped shape a creative strategy that felt both bold and manageable.
Rather than chase every trend, we focused on high-impact moments that aligned with fan energy and program milestones. From nationally broadcast events to real-time recruiting updates, every piece of content was designed to reflect BuffStampede’s credibility, voice, and point of view.
✳ FEATURED PROJECTS
Creative execution across key moments
These four projects show how a strategic creative approach helped BuffStampede grow its audience and elevate its presence across platforms:
✳ FEATURED PROJECT
VALERO ALAMO BOWL 2024
Multimedia coverage of CU’s return to bowl season
From the River Rally to game day, I produced a full suite of photos and videos across three days that capturing fan energy, team moments, and the spirit of the event.
This multi-platform approach brought BuffStampede’s audience inside the experience and sparked high engagement across channels.
All videos shot on iPhone 14 Pro and edited in CapCut & Adobe Premier.
TikTok: 17.8k views
YouTube: 4.0k views
Twitter: 2.7k views
YouTube: 15.1k views
Twitter: 13.2k views
Instagram: 2.3k views
Twitter: 5.6k views
Facebook: 1.1k views
Instagram: 1.0k views
✳ FEATURED PROJECT
HEISMAN AWARD CEREMONY
A personal look at a once-in-a-lifetime event.
In 2024, Travis Hunter made history as Colorado’s first Heisman Trophy winner since 1994. Known for his generational athleticism and playful personality, Hunter became the most decorated player in CU history. Off the field, he’s beloved for his onesie collection, viral TikTok dances, and his commitment to young fans, often spending hours making sure every child gets a photo or autograph.
Covering the event for BuffStampede.com, I documented the lead-up to the ceremony and provided an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Heisman event in New York City. The visuals captured not just the spectacle of the event, but the personality and humanity that made it such a landmark moment for the program and the fanbase.
Twitter: 15.3k views
✳ FEATURED PROJECT
BIG 12 FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY
Unique photo coverage in a media-saturated space.
In 2024, CU made its return to the Big 12 Conference, making its debut appearance at Big 12 Football Media Day at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. With 16 programs represented and non-stop interviews, most outlets focused on press conference content. BuffStampede needed something different.
I focused on capturing the energy of the event, from CU’s captivating presence to unscripted moments with mascots, cheerleaders, and the stadium atmosphere. These assets and social-first visuals brought humor and a glimpse into everything that goes on in the background to make this event special.
Photos from Big 12 Media Day shared by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders on his personal Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and Facebook profiles garnering over 126k likes.
✳ FEATURED PROJECT
SOCIAL GRAPHICS
Branded assets for recruiting and real-time updates.
I created a suite of branded visuals that are used across Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook to support recruiting coverage, signing days, player commitments, and real-time updates. These assets maintain brand consistency and help BuffStampede stand out in busy social feeds and during high-volume sports moments.
✳ THE OUTCOME
Results that speak to impact
Twitter follower count grew by 206%, from 12.5k to 38.2k between December 2022 and March 2025
Instagram has reached over 5,500 followers
Facebook, previously dormant, grew to 1,900+ organic followers
Alamo Bowl video coverage reached over 50k combined views across TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Big 12 Media Day photography earned 49.3k and 71.1k likes after being reshared by Coach Prime
More importantly, the work helped BuffStampede:
Connect with a younger generation of fans
Maintain relevance in a saturated media landscape
Scale visual content output without overwhelming the publisher
Combined, these efforts modernized BuffStampede’s online presence and helped the platform connect with a younger, more visually-driven audience, without losing the journalistic integrity that defines the brand.
Sustaining growth without sacrificing focus.
This project was never about chasing trends. It was about helping an established sports news brand evolve with intention. By building a scalable creative system and designing content rooted in storytelling, I helped BuffStampede increase visibility while staying true to its voice.