Burmaster Thriving In The Sports World Following Cowgirl Soccer Career

Her playing days are over, but Baillie Burmaster's sports journey continues to be fulfilling.

A native of Duluth, Ga., Burmaster was a member of the Oklahoma State soccer team from 2011-14, playing 28 games on three NCAA Tournament teams, including the '11 Elite Eight squad, and helping the Cowgirls to a Big 12 championship.

Since leaving Stillwater, she's made professional stops in Lubbock, Texas, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Cleveland, Ohio, where she is currently a sports anchor and reporter for Cleveland 19 News, a CBS affiliate.

Burmaster said her career path was shaped by her time at OSU.

"I'm really grateful because of the people in Stillwater and my experiences as a student-athlete," Burmaster said. "I was a walk-on who did earn a scholarship. That trajectory of working up the totem pole as an athlete set me up for exactly how my industry was going to be.

"Just the life experiences, whether it was discovering my work ethic or having to have a grown conversation with my coaches – operating at that level and cultivating relationships was a huge deal."

Burmaster's professional journey has been filled with memorable moments.

While in Lubbock, she covered Texas Tech in the College World Series and Patrick Mahomes' on NFL Draft day.

She was in Green Bay when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers played in back-to-back NFC Championship games, then reported on the quarterback's unhappiness with the team's draft picks.

In Cleveland, she's covered the drama surrounding former Browns' Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. as well as the team trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson and has also been on the sidelines for coverage of the Cavaliers and Guardians.

"It's just been a unique experience because I don't think everyone gets to cover the chaos that follows me so to speak," Burmaster said with a laugh.

While establishing herself in a tough industry, Burmaster has goals and dreams to do even bigger things, including being a hybrid for a network and eventually branching out with her own unique vision.

"I want to do a lot of things – I want to host, I want to anchor, I want to sideline report," Burmaster said. "I want to have my own talk show – I want to talk to athletes and dive into their brain of who they really are.

"My crazy, crazy dream is to have my own HBO show where I can be unfiltered with athletes. A female version of Howard Stern but for sports – that's the big dream."

Burmaster says being a former athlete gives her a different mindset for having success when dealing with such high-profile performers in the world of sports.

"I think, 'Would I want to be asked this question after I lost?' And it's like, 'No,'" Burmaster said. "Or how can I phrase this so they know that I'm coming from a place of being genuine and not insulting them when I ask the question."

As Burmaster's ascension through the sports world continues, she's quick to praise and thank those in Stillwater as the roots of her success.

"My professors and counselors were the ones to help guide me and figure out the planning aspect of what was best for my future," said Burmaster, who earned degrees in sports media and marketing from OSU, "My sport counselor, Agatha Adams, and Jawauna Harding with career services, along with my teachers, helped me come up with a plan to achieve my academic goals while also not interfering with the goals I had on the field.

"I know for a fact I could not be doing this without the university and the people who pushed me. Being a student-athlete was not always the easiest, I'd be lying if I said it was – it is not for everyone. But at Oklahoma State, if you believe in yourself and believe in what you want to achieve for your future, OSU will give you all the tools to make that happen."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Burmaster Thriving In The Sports World Following Cowgirl Soccer Career

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