Torey Fox is currently the Director of Social Media Content at NASCAR. He oversees the day-to-day operations of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X as well as provides race day coverage of some of the largest racing events in the world. His beginnings at Ball State University allowed him to develop the skills and relationships necessary for such a successful career in the sports world. He is proud to call himself a Ball State Alum and is excited to see what current and future students will accomplish.
“I am very lucky to have been a student at Ball State. The amazing faculty and staff is what separates Ball State and the Department of Media from every other university.” – Torey Fox
Starting Off Strong
In 2012, Torey came to Ball State to complete his undergraduate degree in telecommunications with an emphasis in digital sports production. He immediately fell in love with the program and dedication of the faculty. “No task has ever felt too big in the real world because of the experiences I had at Ball State. My professors expected a lot, but everything they taught me are things I do today. Because of them, nothing surprises me, and I feel prepared for whatever my career has to throw at me.” Torey values all of the project and time management skills that were taught alongside the content and lessons within the classroom. The workload of class and his extracurriculars made him think about deadlines and how to always be prepared for what was around the corner.
In addition to his coursework, he became involved in Sports Link, which is a unique Ball State opportunity that allows students to get involved with covering live sports on national platforms as soon as they join the program. Through this program, Torey got to experiment with feature storytelling. He interviewed athletes and coaches and did live broadcasts of sporting events all around campus. He also was able to participate in the social media side and get a taste of content creation for a variety of platforms. For Torey, Sports Link shaped him into a well-rounded content creator and gave him experience in all of the different facets of digital sports production.
“Sports Link was the catalyst of my career. I loved getting to tell stories and bring excitement to BSU athletics throughout my time at Ball State. We had so much fun, but now after leaving I have realized just how much this program taught me and how grateful I am for Sports Link and all the people involved.” – Torey Fox
After graduating, Torey decided to stick around Ball State for a little longer and began pursuing an M.A. in Digital Storytelling. He also served as the graduate assistant for Sports Link from 2015-2017. In the graduate program, Torey got to hone his skills and study under incredible professors. He learned more about what it would take to be successful in his field as well as some of the practical skills necessary for a career.
“I loved any class that made me write, especially in the graduate program. I wrote so much about so many different topics. Those lessons prepared me for my day-to-day job where every word, comma, and sentence matters. I appreciate my writing skills more than ever. ” -Torey Fox
Breaking Away From the Pack
After graduating from Ball State with his M.A. in Digital Storytelling, Torey set off to achieve his career goals. In August of 2017, Torey joined the ranks of NASCAR within their social media team as a Senior Coordinator. For the past six years, Torey has dedicated his time and energy to capturing and sharing the passion of NASCAR. In addition, his hard work has paid off and he has risen through the ranks and presently serves NASCAR as the Director of Social Media Content.
In his current role, he is responsible for all of NASCAR’s social media channels including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. Throughout the week, Torey and his team promote upcoming races and preview the key drivers and teams for that specific track. Then, on the weekend, his team works to provide play-by-play coverage of every race. They track everything and try to draw attention to what is going on on the race track. Torey thoroughly enjoys everything about his career and is proud to be a part of the NASCAR team.
Advice for Students
“Embrace versatility.”
Torey’s advice for students looking to enter the social media and digital engagement fields is to embrace and seek out versatility. He stated that “it’s okay if you don’t do everything perfect, just being able to do a variety of things increases your chances of succeeding.” On his team, he loves that different team members bring a variety of interests and skills to the table. This allows for everyone to do something they want to do or want to get better at, all while increasing the reach of NASCAR’s social media platforms. “Take advantage of the different opportunities at Ball State. They will help you develop a wide range of skills and help you find your specific interests.”