Florida State University School of Communication alumnus Drew Goldfarb has turned his life-long passion for hockey and the NHL’s Florida Panthers into a career as a television host and reporter for Fox Sports Florida.

Last September, Goldfarb became the pregame, postgame and intermissions host and sideline reporter for all Panther home games broadcast on Fox Sports Florida.  He also hosts “Inside the Panthers”, which airs on the network.

Goldfarb grew up in South Florida just 15 minutes away from the BB&T Center, the home of the Panthers.  His family had season tickets and Goldfarb attended every game and practice he could as a youngster.

In middle school, Goldfarb decided he would pursue a career as a sportscaster and eventually headed to Florida State (’10) where he studied media production.

The knowledge Goldfarb gleaned in his Florida State classes helped him land a job at WCTV in Tallahassee as a sophomore.

“I had taken a class to learn how to use Avid (editing software) and that literally got me my job, because I knew how to edit with Avid,” Goldfarb said. 

Goldfarb worked at WCTV for a little over two years, and then a month after graduation in May 2010, he headed to Tupelo, Miss., for a full-time gig as a sports anchor and reporter at WTVA.  He credited Florida State’s program for allowing him to hit the ground running in his career pursuits.

“I think learning to edit and shoot, and having teachers that could help me with writing and helping with my voice gave me the experience to start a job right away,” Goldfarb said.

Being a Florida State alumnus and networking with fellow Seminoles has also helped in advancing his career.

“It’s a great introduction and great means of networking,” Goldfarb said.  “It made getting my foot in the door so much easier because there are Seminoles everywhere, whether I knew them or not.  It is tremendously beneficial.”

In January 2013, Goldfarb was visiting his family at the same time the NHL lockout had just ended, and of course, he had to catch a Panthers’ game while he was in town.

“I managed to introduce myself to some people at Fox Sports Florida and about nine months later there was an opening for a television host and I got the job,” Goldfarb said.

Now, Goldfarb is being paid to do what he loves – watch and talk about hockey – a perfect career for the self-described hockey nut.

“If it hadn’t turned into a career, it might have been a problem,” Goldfarb joked.

On the air, Goldfarb’s partner is Bill Lindsay, a former Panther, who was a member of the 1996 squad that played in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Goldfarb still has a picture of the two of them from 2001, when he was a 13-year-old fan clamoring for players’ autographs.

“I get to work with guys I grew up watching and got me interested in being a sportscaster,” Goldfarb said. “It’s surreal at times.”