By Micah Friez
Published 7:00 pm on December 29, 2025
Every year, thousands of Bemidji State University athletics supporters show up for puck drop, the opening tipoff, the first pitch, and more. But what are the Beavers doing in between games? What makes them tick, and what are their personalities like?
Bret Inman is offering a peek behind the curtain.
The BSU sophomore and member of the baseball team recently started a podcast named “Beavers Beyond Regulation,” and it’s meant to do just that: get the scoop on what student-athletes are all about outside the arena of competition.
Of course, Inman talks shop with his guests, whether it be season outlooks, recent recaps, or X’s and O’s. But he also makes a point to dive into areas that fans don’t get to witness from the stands, like favorite memories and life lessons.
“What inspired the podcast was my love for Bemidji State sports,” Inman said. “I want to showcase athletes on campus (in a way) that’s not just strictly based on results. It’s based on getting to know athletes and coaches.”
Inman is double majoring in mass communication and sport management, and he came to BSU from Riverside, California. The aspiring sportscaster found a home within the Integrated Media program, and all the opportunities afforded to him there are right in his wheelhouse.
“Bemidji State makes it possible for me to chase my dreams based on the fact that I get hands-on experience,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to learn from a technical side. And then from a production side, it’s (about) making things interesting. That’s my creative side coming out.”
Inman records the podcast on campus, inside Integrated Media’s base of operations in Deputy Hall. He and his guests fill the show with anecdotes, genuine conversation, and even a little BSU trivia to put a bow on each episode. The show debuted in October, and all episodes are available for streaming on Spotify.
Inman hosts and produces the show by himself, but he’s no one-man band. He credits Bemidji State’s donors as key contributors to his success as a student-athlete and beyond.
“The people who donate that money are absolutely the people who keep us running here at the university,” he said. “Being a student-athlete who works when I can but also is on my own financially, scholarships are the ultimate way for me to have some kind of financial support to kickstart my journey as an athlete, as a student, and ultimately going into my career.”
Similarly, BSU’s student-athlete body has also built up an encouraging atmosphere that mirrors the boost that Inman sees from donors, he said.
“Bemidji State as a whole is just an athletes-support-athletes university,” he said. “When athletes are going to other games or listening to the podcast, that 100 percent emulates what Bemidji State is and how we support one another. The podcast has been a great medium for that.”
