Ahead of the Game
Arye Pulli ’28 has turned that idea on its head. He entered his first year at Susquehanna already carrying NFL media credentials, a successful sports media platform and four years of industry experience earned as a high school student.
Pulli didn’t slow down the summer waiting to start his college career. He reached out to Susquehanna’s athletic communications department — a move that helped him plug quickly into the university’s sports media scene. Now a 19-year-old sophomore, Pulli’s already made himself a staple in athletics coverage, operating cameras, directing streams and writing game recaps. This is all, of course, while balancing his full course load as a sports media major.
“The program’s done a great job of getting us hands-on experience right away, which is vital in the ever-competitive sports media field,” Pulli says. “That’s what’s going to help you in the job market.”
Despite his young age, Pulli speaks from an impressive amount of experience that backs up this claim. At just 14, he and his friends started an Instagram page after several earlier attempts at building professional sports accounts.
“The lockdown during Covid made it possible for us to go all in on this one,” he explains. “We named it The Sports Place, and it’s really taken off since then.”
Saying that The Sports Place has “really taken off” hardly captures the scale. The page boasts over 188,000 followers and multiple brand partnerships. In a saturated industry like sports media, the fact that a group of teenagers managed to differentiate themselves in NBA, NFL, MLB and UFC coverage is remarkable.
“What sets us apart is that we post the fastest,” Pulli says. “We pride ourselves on regularly being one of the first, if not the first, to get the news out.”
“The program’s done a great job of getting us hands-on experience right away, which is vital in the ever-competitive sports media field. That’s what’s going to help you in the job market.”
Arye Pulli ’28
The ongoing success of TSP has fueled each member’s professional aspirations. For Pulli, that meant leaning deeper into NFL coverage, while teammates have pursued their own goals.
“We’re trying to do as much as we can to advance our business and break sports news,” Pulli says. “But we also want to do what’s necessary to each become as successful as possible. For me, it’s taking that NFL angle.”
Breaking into NFL media is a long shot for most, but Pulli’s persistence paid off. After multiple rejected applications, he ultimately secured NFL credentials — as a high school senior. His first NFL-sanctioned event included interviews with players and prospects, and he has since spoken with coaches, agents and athletes at the Panini Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine and during Super Bowl weekend. Last October, he boarded a plane over fall break to cover his first NFL game: the New York Jets and Denver Broncos matchup — in London.
As Pulli looks ahead to the rest of his career, he plans to carry forward the Susquehanna spirit of service.
“I want to be known as someone who is willing to help out future generations,” he says. “I don’t ever want to be seen as accomplished but unreachable. I want to be available to lend a helping hand because I know how competitive this industry is and how important it is to get your foot in the door.”
Today, balancing each of these significant and impressive roles is tough, but it’s also in line with what Pulli envisions for his future. He’s striving to become an NFL Insider, after years of looking up to professionals, particularly Shams Charania. Whether it’s for TSP, his own NFL coverage or his work at Susquehanna, Pulli remains resilient, hardworking and dedicated to his goals.
