Washington State Adds FanWord Assist to Athletics Communications

The multi-year agreement puts an AI-assisted writing and transcription tool in the Cougars’ athletics communications workflow while staff retain editorial control.

Washington State Athletics signed a multi-year partnership with FanWord to deploy FanWord Assist across the department, the school announced Oct. 5. The AI-powered communications platform is designed to help staff prepare game recaps, feature stories, player bios, award nominations, transcriptions and other editorial content.

Washington State said its communications staff will retain full editorial control over every piece published. The announcement describes the platform as a way to reduce time spent on recurring writing and production tasks; the department did not provide a measured time-savings figure or a rollout schedule by sport.

“FanWord’s technology will help us elevate our storytelling while improving our efficiency.” — Jon Haarlow, Vice President and Director of Athletics, Washington State

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to join them” — Chris Aumueller, CEO, FanWord

FanWord says more than 250 athletics departments use its technology. Washington State cited fellow Pac-12 schools Boise State, Gonzaga and Colorado State among FanWord’s customers. The company’s tools are aimed at communications staffs producing stories for fans, recruits, alumni and donors, including material connected to NIL activity.

A week before the Washington State announcement, UT Arlington Athletics announced a separate FanWord Assist partnership focused on student-athlete, coach, alumni and donor stories. Its release also described the platform as a supplement to existing communications work.

The Washington State agreement adds another Division I athletics department to FanWord’s customer roster as schools seek to increase content output without relinquishing final editorial review. The school did not announce financial terms.

UPDATE (October 11, 2027): Washington State’s partnership with FanWord drew criticism over potential effects on athletics communications jobs and student reporting opportunities. In response, athletics spokesman Bobby Alworth told The Spokesman-Review that no full-time positions were cut because of the agreement and that students would continue to have interviewing opportunities. WSU also said it remained committed to hiring another sports information director.

Bruce Pinkleton, dean of WSU’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, said 10 Murrow students were working in athletics (the highest number in several years) and emphasized hands-on learning alongside AI tools.

Alworth disclosed that the three-year agreement costs $5,000 annually. The Spokesman-Review also reported that Gonzaga, cited in the original announcement as a FanWord customer, had ended its partnership after one year because of budget cuts ahead of 2026–27.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/oct/07/wsu-turns-to-artificial-intelligence-to-assist-spo/

Washington State responds to criticism over pivot to A.I.-generated sports media content

Washington State Athletics announced its partnership with FanWord, an AI-powered platform, to much disdain earlier this week.

Awful AnnouncingMegan Armstrong

Washington State Partners with AI-Leader FanWord to Expand Storytelling

PULLMAN, Wash. (October 5, 2026) — Washington State Athletics has signed a multi-year partnership with FanWord, the leading AI technology & storytelling company in college sports. As part of the agreement, Washington State will implement FanWord Assist, FanWord’s proprietary AI-powered communications platform, to support storytelling efforts across every corner of the athletic department. The platform helps communications teams dramatically reduce the time spent creating game recaps, feature stories, player bios, award nominations, transcriptions, and other editorial content. Built specifically for college sports, FanWord Assist allows college sports communicators to streamline a variety of everyday workflows, while maintaining full editorial control over every piece published. “We are always looking for innovative ways to tell the stories of our student-athletes, coaches and programs,” said WSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow. “FanWord’s technology will help us elevate our storytelling while improving our efficiency.” The Cougars join a network of more than 250 athletics departments using FanWord to build an even more consistent content strategy, alongside fellow Pac-12 schools like Boise State, Gonzaga, and Colorado State. “WSU has built a great deal of pride in their department over a long, successful history,” said Chris Aumueller, CEO of FanWord. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to join them as they embark on this exciting new chapter in the new Pac-12.” As the demands on college sports communications teams continue to grow, efficient storytelling has become increasingly important. Not only for engaging fans, but also for recruiting, fundraising, NIL initiatives, and alumni engagement. FanWord Assist enables departments to scale high-quality content production while telling the stories of the student-athletes that have made Cougars Athletics a global brand. About FanWordFanWord is the leading AI technology & storytelling company in college sports and works with more than 250 athletics organizations across all levels. To learn more about FanWord’s software, FanWord Assist, click here.

Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics SiteRiley Baker

UT Arlington Athletics Partners with FanWord to Share Maverick Stories - University of Texas Arlington Athletics

ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington Athletics has announced a partnership with FanWord, the leading AI technology & storytelling company in college sports, to ex…

University of Texas Arlington AthleticsBy: Jeff Bowe