Tarleton State University President James Hurley had a big goal in mind when organizing the campus' inaugural "Leaders & Legacy" speaker series.

The ballroom had a successful morning turnout for Colton Buckley, chief of the NRCS, and it was standing room only for the afternoon session, featuring ESPN senior writer Dan Wetzel.

Wetzel joined Hurley and the session's emcee, Austin Lewter, Director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism, on Aug. 28 for a fireside chat about major issues in collegiate athletics and the sports world and how his reporting has helped shape some of those conversations.