At the University of Wisconsin, digital storytelling continues to evolve and develop into one of the ways student-athletes can express themselves. It gives an audience of supporters — a fanbase — a new perspective that dives into the life of the student-athlete, beyond the game.

Suvir Grover — a junior majoring in genetics and economics — is leading the way in video storytelling. Odds are, fans in attendance for UW athletic events can see Grover running around a field, course or arena with a camera in his hands. For him and the rest of his team, producing media can go even further than what a student-athlete showcases on the playing field.

Active members of social media, whether it is on Instagram or X, formerly known as Twitter, can witness content coming out from Grover on the daily. It keeps viewers updated on teams that many members of UW may not follow consistently, such as cross country, both soccer programs and swim and dive.

Grover has been the Head of Content at UNCUT Madison for almost a year and a half now. UNCUT is a newer program that has been developed on campus to allow student-athletes to share their personal story and inspire others to do the same.

“With a commitment to authenticity, UNCUT provides a platform for student-athletes to speak in a way that has not been seen at the collegiate level,” according to the main message on UNCUT’s website.

The junior resides in San Jose, California, but has always had a connection with the Badger community. A runner as well, Grover competed in both cross country and track during his high school days. It led him to fall in love with UW’s program, growing up watching future Olympic athletes compete in college, such as Morgan McDonald and Gwen Jorgensen to name a few.

Unfortunately for Grover, an injury sidelined him for part of his high school career. Despite this setback, he wound up making the most of it in the end. Grover found his love for creating multimedia products. So, he followed his team around with a camera and ultimately discovered his passion.

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“I grew up supporting Wisconsin sports so it was always my dream to be involved with athletics in some capacity,” Grover said. “ … The first sport I ever did pictures for was cross. The only sport I cared about in high school was track. So, I’ve always wanted to be involved with our cross and track teams.”

That goal would follow him all the way to UW, where Grover got his first shot to expand his foundation in the photography and videography world.

Grover has worked for UW since August 2021 and in the spring of 2023, he earned a large opportunity to produce content for the university. He was invited to film and provide coverage for the UW track and field program at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.

Problem was, he was across the world.

“It was funny because I was in Europe at the time with my family, and I was like ‘there’s no way I’m going to make it back in time,’” Grover said. “It just so happened that the day I came back from Europe, the next day they were going to Austin, so it worked out perfectly.”

From there, his relationship with the student-athletes took off. He developed lifelong friendships and ultimately created the goal of shining light on underrepresented programs on campus.

His inclusivity of aforementioned sports that don’t receive a ton of media attention is noteworthy. Grover’s content — along with the help of others in the UW video department — has reached the national stage quite consistently this fall.

“A lot of people don’t realize how successful our cross [country] and track team is,” Grover said.

After the Big Ten Championships, the men’s cross country program was ranked No. 5, while the women slotted in at No. 23.

As the Head of Content at UNCUT, Grover has begun to create multiple multimedia productions to allow student-athletes to tell their stories outside of competition.

It started with the series he introduced at the beginning of the summer. Grover will conduct 31 interviews with current and former student-athletes around the nation by May of 2025 to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month.

A powerful project that has many goals in mind.

“I just want to help bridge that disconnect that is between people who don’t see really what’s happening with college sports and the lives of student-athletes, and the people who are trying to show that and share what’s really happening,” Grover said.

Grover traveled with the UW cross country program to Door County this summer for the start of their season. It was there where he allowed student-athletes to host daily vlogs which showcased their workouts and activities that took place up in northeast Wisconsin.

His content and attention to detail inspired members of the team to start a podcast this fall. Evan Bishop, Rowen Ellenberg and Adam Spencer — who just secured a sixth-straight Big Ten Championship — have created a multimedia brand that includes a podcast called “Oakland Ave.,” which documents their season and gives viewers insight into the everyday lives of these student-athletes.

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The personal and up-close media is something fresh, not just to the cross country team, but UW athletics in itself. With NIL evolving and gaining popularity as well, promotion is key.

“Evan [Bishop] had texted me and was like ‘I want to figure out a way in which we can grow our brand,’” Grover said. “We were talking and going back and forth and he was like ‘maybe we can do a podcast,’ and I was like ‘OK, let’s do it.’ I really loved the idea. I think the room, the potential for it is huge because of how good these guys are.”

Grover continues to produce weekly vlogs from cross country meets throughout the season. Additionally, he attempts to include all athletic programs at UW while balancing an academic schedule. His content can be seen on his Instagram page @suvirsphotos, which currently houses over 1,000 followers.

His journey at UNCUT and through the fall athletic season continues throughout the month of November. Viewers can catch him within the press media section, likely depicting a magical scene at an UW athletic event.

“We want to stay true to mental health and really getting those student-athletes as people rather than student-athletes,” Grover said of his team’s future goals. “ … Staying true to the UNCUT content of being real, being unfiltered, but also respectful.”