Jenn Sterger is leaving the warm, humid climate of Florida to travel to another, cooler climate this weekend when she visits Eugene for the Oregon men’s basketball game.
Males of all ages are sure to welcome her with open arms.
The brunette Florida State student of Maxim and Playboy fame is visiting the University as part of a video series shown on Sports Illustrated’s web site, SI.com. Sterger braved the cold of Wichita, Kan. last weekend to see Wichita State lose 54-46 to Southern Illinois.
Saturday afternoon, she will be at McArthur Court with the Pit Crew taking in Oregon’s match-up with Arizona.
Afterwards, Nick Harrington, the younger brother of former Duck quarterback Joey Harrington, plans to show her around Eugene. More than 140 students joined an online group called Team Harrington through the profile service Facebook in support of Nick Harrington’s quest to host Sterger.
Sterger got her break from announcer Brent Musburger, who noticed her in the crowd at a Florida State-Miami football game in 2005 and told the television audience, “15,000 young red-blooded American men just signed up to go to Florida State next semester.”
Young men found her photo online on Facebook and sent the links to friends and her popularity blossomed. Sterger sent signed photos and a thank-you letter to Musburger and his crew.
She hasn’t met Musburger in person, but could have her chance this weekend with Musburger and ex-UCLA coach Steve Lavin expected to be in attendance as part of the 12:30 p.m. ABC telecast.
Sterger writes a column for SI.com on everything from sports to relationships. The idea of a video series sprang from the column’s popularity. She has plans to visit Syracuse, LSU, Wisconsin and Las Vegas.
“I like writing about the experience more than just the cold hard facts of the game,” Sterger said in a telephone interview. “Anyone can find those anywhere on the web. I would like to show people why I love sports and why it’s such a huge part of my life. If I can get them half as interested in the game as I am, I’ve achieved my purpose.”
Sterger tried for press passes at certain Atlantic Coast Conference schools and was turned down. Sterger says schools feared she would be showing schools in a negative light with student drinking and partying, but says that is not true.
“I think a lot of schools are still having problems with my image on the exterior and not taking me seriously,” Sterger said. “I’m hoping that people will realize that I’m legit once they see the videos and how well they come out. It’s not like I’m portraying each school as a straight-up party school. I just think that there’s schools out there that people don’t see enough of and that people don’t give enough credit to as having a great night life and a great student life.”
Greg Walker, sports information director for the men’s basketball team, looked at how much of a commitment Sterger needed from Oregon Media Services and the team before approving her media credential.
“We talked about it in our department here but we didn’t feel there was anything overwhelmingly negative we had to be concerned about,” Walker said.
Walker learned of her visit via a phone call and initially had no idea who Sterger was.
“If you’re looking for a certain demographic, it’s great publicity,” he said. “There is a certain age, myself included, that when they first called I was kind of like ‘I have no idea who that is.’”
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