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Section 2 - Television Guidelines for Site Selection

(2008-09 guidelines - do not apply to Division I men's basketball)

Announce booth / Announce position. The primary television entity shall have free access to first choice of all available television booths or courtside table space. The booth or courtside power requirements are 12 power outlets at 20 amps each. Up to six seating spaces are required for announce positions.

General guidelines and NCAA copyright. The NCAA retains exclusive copyright to all audio (natural sound) and video footage (television, radio, Internet, photographs, etc.) to all NCAA championship rounds. Local venues, local organizing committees and/or host schools must gain written permission to license NCAA championship footage after the completion of the event. This includes any use of an in-house video board system and all audio/video historical recordings of NCAA championships. The television or radio entity that originated the game(s) must give permission for use of announcer calls of NCAA championship broadcasts.

For more information on NCAA footage licensing, please contact Thought Equity at http://www.thoughtequity.com/ and click NCAA under the "Collections" heading for more information.

House cameras. Broadcast entities may wish to use house cameras that some arenas have installed inside and outside the venue to supplement their own videoboard or in-house production. Venues may charge a fair rental price to the broadcast entity for the use of these cameras.

Instant replay. Selected NCAA championships (e.g., ice hockey, Division I basketball) require an instant replay setup. The host venue must work with the NCAA rules liaison and the televising entity to provide an adequate space for the instant replay system. In some cases, the televising entity would provide all the technical equipment to make this possible. The venue must provide an adequate working space that is NOT in view or close proximity to spectators and media. The television entity may have to provide an ISO monitor and headset to the producer in the primary TV truck. This would be a very similar set up to the courtside timeout coordinator position in a college basketball game.

Interview /headshot/green room. The arena shall provide an interview area for the primary broadcast entity at no charge. This room shall be used for team headshots and interviews. The room shall have necessary power for television needs (200 amp panel with six dedicated outlets). For selected championships, broadcast partners will requests two rooms.

Lighting Requirements. Light levels in the primary playing area (PPA) should be brightly lit with uniform lighting throughout the area. Vertical light levels (illuminating the sides of the players) should be maximized without creating severe glare for student-athletes and spectators. The lighting should also provide adequate light levels in the bottom 10 to 15 rows of seats to allow camera operators exciting crowd shots. For lighting requirements, please refer to the NCAA best practices link below. The lighting should be evenly distributed on the PPA. The perimeter of the playing surface should have sufficient spill light into the spectator areas. One of the most important areas of proper lighting at televised sporting events is the smoothness of the lighting levels (this means there are no major jumps in lighting levels when the same camera pans the field).

Effective September 1, 2002, all potential sites that submit a bid to host a future NCAA championship event must provide a professional lighting survey of their venue or arena. Some NCAA championship sites are awarded numerous years out and; therefore, the venue must provide a follow-up professional lighting survey to the NCAA at least four months prior to the event. Professional sports arenas that host NHL, NBA and NFL contests are exempt from this NCAA broadcasting mandate.

NCAA Best Lighting Practices

Meal area/catering. If requested, NCAA championship venues must make a best effort to provide an adequate location for the television entity to accommodate crew meals. Depending on the event, television crews normally number in size between 40 and 80 people. The NCAA requests, but will not enforce, that venues waive charges to the television entity for the use of this meal space. Venues will make a good faith effort to provide adequate tables and chairs for the crew meal(s). Television entities shall make a good faith effort to use the primary venue food service provider. Television entities shall be allowed to bring in bottled water, at their own expense, for the television crew.

Mult box. The NCAA and its primary broadcast partners shall be the only media entities able to film/tape an NCAA championship when exclusive broadcast television rights have been granted. The primary broadcast entity shall provide an audio/video press mult box for local television stations to take a feed if the broadcast entity has production facilities on site (e.g., mobile unit). Venues need to provide two eight-foot tables in close proximity to the TV truck for the mult box set up. Venues should provide adequate power based on the NCAA media coordinator projected estimate of TV stations that will be at the championship. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP (MULT BOX HOW TO)

Net return. Arenas that have cable or DSS should provide the broadcast entity with a house feed at no charge. Most television entities prefer a cable feed due to the shorter delay if the program they are originating is being aired on cable.

Platforms. Construction of camera platforms and other stadium alterations requested by the network shall be done at its own expense. The necessary electrical power shall be available to operate the related TV equipment at NCAA championship venues. The televising network shall have the right to install, maintain and remove wires, cables and apparatus as may be necessary for the telecast of the event provided that such items shall not substantially interfere with the use of the venue, stadium or arena with the means of ingress or egress.

Power , lighting and parking fees. NCAA championship venues, local organizing committees and/or host committees, shall not charge the NCAA, or any other televising entity, a fee in connection with the use of the facilities, power, lighting or TV crew parking at the venue. The televising entity shall have the right to request crew parking passes that total up to fifty percent of the total television credentials needed for the event. (Example: If an ESPN women's volleyball crew totals 40 people, then ESPN can request 20 parking passes).

Power requirements (TV compound). Three dedicated services of power (all three phase and 208 volts) for mobile A-unit (400 Amps), B-unit (200 Amps) and satellite uplink truck (100 Amps) shall be available for all NCAA championships live telecasts. An area for parking the mobile unit will be available within 150 feet of the power service closest to the anticipated camera positions or announce booth. This designated area should provide enough room for two TV production trucks 65 feet long by 25 feet wide. There must be room for a third vehicle (Uplink truck) to park in close proximity (within 100 feet) to the primary mobile unit. In addition, the primary television entity must have adequate space in the television compound to install up to three production work trailers. Each trailer requires 220 volt, single phase and 100 amps per leg. If a facility meets all the requirements to host an NCAA championship, but does not have television adequate power, the host site may agree to provide necessary power by means of generators at the expense of the venue, LOC or host school.

Radio frequencies. All broadcast partners (television and radio) and team scouting devices that have wireless microphone packages must work with local arena radio frequencies requirements. The broadcast partner and teams should contact the local Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) coordinator.

Seat kills. Should it be necessary to eliminate seating to provide for adequate television coverage, permission will be granted. There will be no charges incurred by the NCAA for the elimination of such seats. The broadcast entity shall pay for these seat kills if the event is sold out. Championship sites that are not predetermined (e.g. baseball super regionals) may not be able to meet all the requests of a broadcast entities seat kill request.

Telephone lines. The primary television entity must also have access to order telephone service at the television compound. Television entities must pay all charges with respect to telephone installation, local charges, long distance charges, disconnection fees and all applicable taxes.

Television truck parking and technical set up. Adequate television facilities and space shall be available at all NCAA championship venues for broadcast partners. If space is available inside the arena (e.g., loading dock area), the primary broadcast entity shall be allowed to park the mobile trucks in that location. The primary televising entity shall be designated the primary announcer position for the broadcast(s). In order to install and set up the necessary technical equipment for the broadcast(s), the television setup crew must have access to the NCAA championship facilities where camera/audio cables are to run 48 hours prior to the start of the event. Approximately 80 percent of collegiate sporting events are shot from the primary or main game camera position. Whenever possible, the cameras at this position should be placed so that the camera angle to mid-court or mid-field does not exceed 21 degrees from horizontal.

Venue Fees and Union Situations. NCAA championship venues, local organizing committees (LOC) and/or host committees shall waive any television rights fees normally charged for events staged at such a venue to the broadcast entity (with the exception of union charges which are covered below under venue fees and union situations). The NCAA, and any other television entity, will pay only for services and personnel it deems necessary for the telecast of any round or contest of NCAA championships. If a "union building" is submitting a bid to host an NCAA championship, the venue must contact NCAA staff to complete an estimate of television union charges in conjunction with the bidding process. The NCAA will provide this information to the appropriate broadcast partner. With respect to union charges, the NCAA and/or broadcast entities will comply with all local unions, but will work to keep costs at a fair and reasonable price for broadcast partners. All union buildings must contact the broadcast entity six months prior to the event with updated rate cards and union policies. The venue personnel in charge of union labor will provide a written estimate to the broadcast entity based upon services needed. The venue must also give an updated copy of the same estimate to the NCAA. All television union costs will be paid for by the broadcast media entity. The NCAA will not pay for any television union costs.

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