Widener University brought payments, forms, and reporting into one familiar system when they started using Registration in Hudl.
Greg Spicka has worn a lot of hats in a short amount of time.
As Director of Athletic Communications at Pennsylvania’s Widener University, his role sits at the intersection of coaches, administrators, families, and fans. When something breaks, he’s usually the one fixing it. When something new gets rolled out, he’s often the one owning it.
That perspective makes inefficiencies hard to ignore.
“Before, each team was kind of doing their own thing,” Spicka said. “Football had one platform, soccer had another, lacrosse had something else. None of it was connected.”
That fragmentation showed up most clearly around camps and clinics—where registration, payments, waivers, and communication lived in entirely different places.
So when Widener expanded its Hudl partnership to include Registration, the goal was simple:
Take work off coaches’ plates.
Spicka joined the Educational AD Podcast to share how bringing registration capabilities into Hudl changed the day-to-day reality for Widener’s athletic department.
One Less Thing for Coaches to Manage
Camps and clinics are valuable for college programs. They bring in recruits, connect with the community, and generate revenue.
They also create a lot of admin work.
“Previously, a coach would run the camp, manage signups, handle payments, and field questions from parents,” Spicka explained. “And they were doing that on platforms that weren’t connected to anything else we use.”
With Registration in Hudl, all that changed.
“All they had to do was send me the information,” said Spicka. “I populated it, gave them the link, and they could just focus on running their clinic.”
For coaches, that meant fewer emails, fewer logistics, and less time spent on tasks that pull them away from the field.
From Spicka’s side, it meant consistency.
Instead of supporting multiple tools, every camp followed the same workflow—signups, payments, rosters, and reporting all handled inside Hudl.
All [coaches] had to do was send me the information. I populated it, gave them the link, and they could just focus on running their clinic.
Greg Spicka, Director of Athletic Communications, Widener University
Everything in One Place (Payout Reports Included)
“I love that I can take a payment, pull a report, and send that straight to our associate AD,” Spicka said. “I hit download, forward the file, and it’s done.”
That simplicity matters more than it sounds. Spicka no longer has to:
- Count cash
- Reconcile electronic payments
- Track who paid where
- Manually combine spreadsheets
“It saves time on cleanup and reconciliation,” he said. “Especially when you’re running multiple events.”
And that same reporting structure mirrors what Widener already uses for ticketing—creating a consistent financial workflow across events, games, and programs.
A Better Experience for Families, Too
While Registration was built to help staff, the benefits quickly extended to families.
Parents didn’t need to learn a new system. Many already had Hudl accounts to keep up with livestreams or recruiting.
“I think they liked that it was one platform,” Spicka said. “Eventually, their son or daughter is going to need a Hudl account anyway. Their information is already there.”
That familiarity reduced friction and questions—especially compared to one-off forms or external tools.
“We haven’t gotten anything negative,” Spicka added. “And I think the coaches would say the same.”
Registration That Fits Into the Bigger Picture
What stood out most to Spicka wasn’t just registration itself—it was how naturally it fit into Widener’s broader Hudl setup.
Streaming, ticketing, team accounts, and now registration all live under one roof.
“That was the appeal,” he said. “It’s not another platform. It’s part of what we’re already using.”
And for an operations role that touches every part of the department, that matters.
“It’s just easier when everything speaks the same language.”
Building Toward a Fully Digital Future
Widener is still evolving how they use Hudl’s Operations Suite. Like many departments, change didn’t happen overnight.
“Our onboarding took longer than I expected,” Spicka admitted. “Some of it just takes time.”
But the direction is clear.
“We’re moving toward a fully digital world,” he said. “Registration, ticketing, payments—it just makes sense.”
For Spicka, the value of Registration isn’t about replacing paper forms or spreadsheets. It’s about giving time back—to coaches, administrators, and families.
“Honestly,” he said, “if you’re already using Hudl, it’s worth a conversation. Even just to see how it could fit.”
