The Fairfield Awards Dinner will be held on April 3, 2024 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
With more than 15 years of experience as a sports anchor, reporter, and host, Chris Miles ’03 has covered almost every major sporting event, including the Final Four, the College Football National Championship, and multiple Super Bowls. Miles has worked in seven different markets, on a full gamut of sports from NASCAR to the PGA, as well as his personal favorites – the NBA and MLB. Currently, he works in Atlanta, Georgia, as a host and play-by-play expert for NBA TV.
Miles’s love of sports and journalism blossomed while studying English and literature at Fairfield University. While his English degree taught him how to digest, analyze, and present information, he credits the skills learned during his internships as the most instrumental factor in setting him up for success. With the help of Fr. James Mayzik, S.J., assistant professor of visual and performing arts, and Casey Timmeny '99, assistant vice president of digital operations, Miles was able to secure an internship calling innings at live events for the Bridgeport Bluefish, and a work-study job hosting shows at Fairfield’s Ham Channel. A corporate internship with ESPN — his dream employer at the time — also helped him realize that the business side of things wasn’t where he wanted focus his career.
By the second half of his junior year, Miles started to find his groove, learning how to edit and shoot video, speak extemporaneously on the radio, and adapt to the different landscapes of broadcast radio, TV, and streaming. He also learned how to take advantage of the networking opportunities that arose from being at Fairfield and so close to the media business in New York City. He even met Charles Barkley and landed an interview with the sportscaster Jim Nantz while at Fairfield. The Media Center and the Sports Media program didn’t exist at Fairfield back then, but interest and support evolved over the years.
In spring 2021, Richard Greenwald, PhD, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, invited Miles back for a Virtual Dean's Series discussion on navigating a career in sports media, mapping career goals, forging the right paths and partnerships, and how a Jesuit liberal arts education is the bedrock for success in media. He later joined the Media Industry Advisory Council in the fall of 2021 to help grow the program.
Fairfield’s Jesuit education was a deciding factor for Miles when he was choosing where to attend college. “I wanted a university where I could pray. The time I spent by myself in the chapel in the middle of the day was one of the reasons why I was able to graduate on time and with great grades,” he said. “I also appreciated that I brought some diversity to the school. I take pride in the fact that several students from my primarily African American, low-income high school followed me to Fairfield.”
The scholarships he received were also a big factor in his decision to come to Fairfield. “There is no way I would have been able to attend Fairfield without scholarships,” he said.
Miles is excited to return to campus as the emcee of the Fairfield Awards Dinner on April 3, 2024 at Cipriani 42 Street in New York City, in part because it will give him an opportunity to support the Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund at Fairfield. He said, “It’s a true joy to have the opportunity.” Miles will bring his skills as broadcast journalism expert to the event, as well as his experience as a panelist, speaker, and emcee for several community outreach events and charities, including the D.C. Special Olympics Gala, Student Sponsor Partners Gala, and National Association of Black Journalists. He said many of the skills he has learned as an on-air personality come in handy on the stage at these events – it’s all about that interaction with your audience. “I’m also hoping to bring my personal experience as a student at Fairfield University and the things I learned there to help raise money for the next generation.”
Miles continues to draw strength and inspiration from his time at Fairfield for his professional and personal life. He even credits his "Intro to Religious Studies" class with Elizabeth Dreyer, PhD, as the source for his daughter Isa’s name. “I learned that the name Isa is a variation of Jesus with Hebrew and Arabic origins and decided back then that my first born — boy or girl — would be named Isa. I can still recall Dr. Dreyer writing on the whiteboard with her glasses and a white shirt as she explained the history.”
Miles and his wife Angela also have a daughter named Rhea. Angela was on board with the name Isa long before they were even married, and has been an important support for Miles throughout his successes “...and failures,” he added.
His advice for anyone considering Fairfield University or a career in sports media is to take advantage of internship opportunities. “One-thousand percent, my game plan worked out because of the internships and being a train ride away from the vast opportunities that you can take advantage of in New York City.”
For additional information about the Fairfield Awards Dinner, please contact Jen Kane at jkane1@fairfield.edu or 203-254-4000, ext. 2464.
To learn more about the Fairfield Awards Dinner, please visit fairfield.edu/awardsdinner.
