Levering Named Rock Solid Sports Director at WUTK

June 22, 2023 by Ernest Rollins

It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

That’s how School of Journalism and Electronic Media senior Chloe Levering described her thought process when offered the sports director position for the Rock Solid Sports on WUTK 90.3 The Rock.

Other obligations such as working at VFL Films and being part of the Pride of Southland Marching Band at first made her worry about her capability to do a good job.

“But then I sat there and I was just like ‘I will be so mad at myself if I did not do it,’” Levering said. “I know I can do it if I work hard. I’ll be busy and stressed as heck but it will all be worth it.”

Levering’s acceptance of the position also made her the first female sports director of the Rock Solid Sports in WUTK’s history.

WUTK Station Manager and Program Director Benny Smith said her peers at the radio station felt she was the best person for the job and that she had not only earned this opportunity but was someone who can take the station and show to new heights.

“It was unanimous,” Smith said. “To me it was kind of a no brainer as well because I have seen her work and seen what she can do.”

Levering said she was familiar with WUTK prior to working there, adding her dad and his best friend hosted The Funhouse, a music and talk show, at the station for around 15 years. So, when deciding on an internship freshmen year, WUTK was a natural fit.

Levering started out with a DJ shift and after a few weeks was introduced to some team members on the Rock Solid Sports Show. She said former Rock Solid Sports Director Gustavo Tomazeli must have saw something in her to take that leap of faith to recruit her for the team and within two weeks she was on scene covering Lady Vols basketball ­­—her first sports beat.

Over time she began taking on more roles at the station including serving as associate director for two years before accepting the director position. Throughout that experience she learned various skills required on and off the air to make her into a well-rounded professional. Levering said she has learned so much throughout her time at WUTK. She hopes to pay it forward to those coming up like she did at WUTK.

A Knoxville native, Levering grew up around Vols sports with her parents taking her to football games. She credits her grandmother for stoking her interest in sports beyond football as a fan but from early on thought the idea of watching sports for a living as a fascinating career option. After that, picking which school to go to was the easy part.

“UT is the only school I applied to,” Levering said. “I knew I was going here and I didn’t want to go anywhere else. Both my parents went here.”

Smith said it has been a privilege to watch Levering grow into the young woman she is today. From her freshman year, he said she showed a level of maturity, determination and hard work that they value highly at the station, especially in a leader, adding this is despite starting her radio career in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is also an inspiration to other female students looking to break in the industry. Smith said he is seeing a growing interest in the station from other female students and believes Levering helped spark that trend.

“She kind of kicked the door wide open by leading by example,” Levering said. “By showing, ‘yeah, I can do it.’”

Levering said she too draws inspiration from seeing other female media professionals in the industry. One influence in her life was Courtney Lyle (’12), CCI alumna and college sports play-by-play commentator for ESPN and SEC Network.

Through connections at WUTK, Levering said she was able to meet Lyle. She added the lessons she learned from their interaction have been invaluable.

Levering said they discussed how women are perceived in the industry, adding the public can be more critical of female sports media professionals’ ability to do their job. However, Lyle’s encouragement and mentorship helped her feel confident in her skills and understand that, despite some critics, there is not only a space for her in this industry but she can thrive in it.

Levering and Lyle’s interaction also led the former to work for VFL films to continue taking advantage of other experiential learning opportunities at the campus. There she was able to meet other women working in sports communication and learn from them as well.

She recommends the School of Journalism and Electronic Media to anyone interested in sports communication. She loves the professors and working with Smith at the station has been an invaluable experience. In addition, she encourages anyone who come to the school to take advantage of the various hands-on opportunities available.

“The best thing you can do is just get an internship literally anywhere that has anything to do with what you want to do because that’s where you’ll learn everything, you’ll learn stuff before you” Levering said.

After graduation, Levering said she hopes to go into sports broadcasting. While radio has a special place in her heart, she added she’s willing to explore other broadcasting mediums.

“I’m just so excited for her future,” Smith said. “I’m so excited to see where she’s going.”

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Rock Solid Sports

This student-driven show on WUTK 90.3 The Rock in Knoxville covers all things Tennessee Volunteers, East Tennessee pro sports, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and more.

Listeners can tune in live to Rock Solid Sports on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 – 8 p.m. either on the radio at WUTK 90.3 FM, streaming online and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.