Denton Day has a new Saturday and Sunday evening show on SportsMap Radio Network (formerly SB Nation Radio). The story of how he has gone from newspaper sports editor to national sports talk host just three years out of college is improbable.
After graduating from Liberty University in 2017, Day went to work as the sports editor at a local newspaper. He’d worked on Liberty’s campus radio station, though, and maintained a passion for broadcasting. When Day got a USB microphone for Christmas in 2017 he started a podcast, “In My Opinion with Denton Day.”
“The podcast originally started as weekly 15-20 minute episodes discussing whatever happened to be relevant at the time,” he recalls.
An Internet radio station offered Day a lineup spot if he could expand his show to an hour. “I did that for about 10 months before the site folded in May of 2018,” Day says. Afterward, he continued the show as a podcast.
Day joined STAA in June 2018. One month later, he messaged SB Nation Radio through their website to ask, “What are the qualifications for having a podcast linked with SB Nation? If I don’t meet the qualifications just yet or if you’re not searching for a podcast, are the any ways that I can get my foot in the door?”
Network COO and PD Craig Larson replied.
“I sent him my two most recent shows – one of which featured my dad as a guest, which Craig really enjoyed,” Day smiles.
The timing of Day’s email proved fortuitous. “Originally, I planned to reach out in April. I had a message all typed out and ended up not sending it. A few months later I did send the message and it just happened to be at a time when they were looking at making adjustments to their schedule. Talk about right place right time.”
Day hosted his first show on Sunday August 26, 2018, just over a month after contacting the network. For nearly two years, he hosted on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings. With the new schedule, though, Day’s show is airing Saturday and Sunday evenings.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to build a consistent audience,” he says. “As much as I loved my previous slots it was tough to build consistency amongst listeners when one slot is late Tuesday nights and the other slot is early Sunday mornings. Now being in the same slot on both Saturday and Sunday it offers a really great chance to be able to have the same people listening and ultimately interacting with the show either via call-in or on social media.”
After joining the radio network, Day left newspaper for SiriusXM in Washington D.C. He’s currently an Associate Producer with the ESPNU channel. He hosts his SportsMap Radio show from home and is especially excited for his new time slot.
“It’ll be exceptionally fun to once football gets underway – assuming we have a season – to be able to react live to plays and results.”
(Visit Denton”s STAA Talent Page).