Andy Backstrom: Lettermen Row is the stage I've always wanted

COLUMBUS — Like everyone and their mother, I, too, have left for the Big Ten. 

After six and a half years reporting on Boston College Athletics — first as a student journalist and then as a professional with Rivals — I have joined On3 and Lettermen Row to cover Ohio State.

While BC will always hold a special place in my heart, I knew I wanted a change. As much as I loved covering my alma mater, I wanted the challenge of something new, somewhere new.

So, Columbus, here I am.

Before moving here this past weekend, I had spent no more than approximately 16 hours in Ohio. I stopped in Cleveland on my way to Chicago, where I earned my master’s of science in journalism from Northwestern. So please bear with me as I find my way around these parts.

I’m originally from Wayne, Pennsylvania, which is right near Villanova, or, as my hometown people often say, “just outside Philly.” I grew up watching the Big Ten. I wasn’t a Penn State fan like many of my childhood friends. Rather, I endured the head scratching seesaw ride that is watching Northwestern — also my dad’s alma mater — in the Pat Fitzgerald era.

When it comes to Big Ten football, though, it doesn’t get better than Ohio State. The team success, NFL pipeline and passionate fan base is practically unbeatable. I know that covering a program like Ohio State requires tireless dedication and significant responsibility.

I couldn’t be happier to do it with On3, which is quickly growing with recruiting and NIL databases that are catching eyes and turning heads in the industry.

Additionally, Lettermen Row affords me an opportunity to work extensively with Spencer Holbrook, Matt Parker and Tim May, who have ushered in a new era of the site. I know we’ll be fast friends, great teammates and bring everything we have to the Lettermen Lounge message board.

Expect a lot of words, detailed reporting and around-the-clock tweeting from me. 

It’s always been a dream of mine to cover a beat with big-time college football and basketball. Lettermen Row makes that dream come true.