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A. Press conferences and interviews.

Camera platform. The facility shall provide stable platform staging for two cameras, eight-feet by four-feet and the same height as the press conference dais. The NCAA will position the platforms no closer than 30 feet from the dais. The facility shall provide enough tables and chairs for the press conference participants on the dais in front of the camera platform.

Feeds. At selected championships, the NCAA will provide audio and video feeds of the news conferences and game "ambiance" audio to radio network announce positions. The selected championships are men's ice hockey, men's and women's College World Series, women's basketball regionals, Women's Final Four, all Division I men's basketball. The NCAA reserves the right to provide an audio/video feed for any press conferences at any additional championship it selects.  

Hand-held microphones.  At selected press conferences, the NCAA will supply hand-held microphones during these news conferences to permit the satellite audience to hear the questions being asked. The audio/visual production entity will identify two media assistants (grips) to perform this task.

Internet press conference policy. NCAA championship press conferences may be streamed via the Internet on news, sports and institution Web sites. These press conferences may be steamed live or tape-delay up to 24 hours after the completion of the media event.  The Internet broadcast must be free of any sponsored elements including sponsorship of the media player or any other commercial advertising.

Interview position.  Interviews may not take place under the baskets or on the field of play during a timeout or during competition. When interviews are conducted on the playing area between games, broadcast personnel must position themselves away from the areas required by the teams that are preparing for the next game.

Interview schedule.  The media coordinator and the institution's sports information contact will determine the postgame interview schedule.

NCAA media coordinator.  Each press conference will be led by an NCAA media coordinator or delegate. The media coordinator or delegate will begin and end the press conference and is the primary contact for media related questions.  Click here for the NCAA Credential Policy

Natural audio.  For the Men's and Women's Final Four, women's basketball regionals and the College World Series, the NCAA will provide feeds of crowd noise (international sound) and audio from postgame news conferences to designated radio broadcast locations.

NCAA committee/staff office monitors.  Where possible, the NCAA will provide a television monitor for the NCAA office and/or championship committee capable of showing postgame interviews and broadcast feeds. The facility will provide a standard coax cable drop connected to the in-house CATV or MATV system in the office if an in-house system exists.

Special requests. Requests for interviews with student-athletes who are not involved in the scheduled news conferences should be made through the media coordinator and the institution's sports information contact.

Uplink of news conferences. Whenever possible, all news press conferences will be unlinked live by the NCAA.  The satellite coordinates of the press conferences will be posted on the NCAA official Web site, http://www.ncaa.com/. The coordinates will include the downlink frequency and a trouble number.

Video/audio distribution area.  For selected championships, an adjacent room will be set with a sufficient number of tables to accommodate an electronic pool feed of the video and audio. The NCAA will provide video/audio outputs and audio-only outputs (mult boxes).  These mult boxes will receive the origination from the video and audio systems of the news conferences.  The NCAA may provide spare audio and video cables to assist attending media representatives who do not have the proper equipment.  Also, for basketball and hockey, the NCAA may provide an audio-only mult box at the end of the first row opposite the scorer's table at courtside for radio rights holders to receive news conference audio.

For all other championships, news media may videotape press conferences from the designated camera area and utilize the audio-only mult box for press conference audio.


B. News Feeds and Game Recording.

2011 DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS NEWS ACCESS GUIDELINES

2011 CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS ACCESS GUIDELINES (EXCLUDING DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL)

Broadcast announcer audio.  No announcer commentary may be used from any NCAA championship broadcast by any network (e.g. CBS, ESPN, CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK) without the prior permission of that broadcast network.  For highlight usage guidelines with respect to the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, Final Four and Championship please contact Deanna O'Toole, Director, Business Affairs, CBS Sports at (212) 975-6590 or dmotoole@cbs.com. If you require additional contact information for other networks, please contact the NCAA broadcast staff.

News access.  Selected media outlets will be granted access to championships in order to shoot video highlights of the championship for use on their news program under the news access rules.  To gain credentials for shooting any video, an ENG Authorization Form must be completed and submitted to the championship media coordinator. Media cameras must shoot from a designated area determined by the championship media coordinator.

For certain NCAA championships, exclusivity will be granted.  For those championships, NCAA Productions and/or exclusive broadcast partners will be the only entities authorized to use ENG cameras to record action in the playing area during the competition.NCAA Productions and/or exclusive broadcast partners have no time restrictions except when the area is closed for team practices or other activities designated by the sports committee. All other media outlets requesting championship video must take a feed from the exclusive broadcast partner production truck and may not air any highlights until the championship has gone off the air. Up to three minutes of this footage may be aired within 72 hours of the game on regularly scheduled news and/or sports news shows. Video and audio highlights may also be used on Internet news sites not to exceed two minutes in length and not to be on the site longer than 24 hours after the event has ended. A graphic footage courtesy, "NCAA" must be included on the footage. Use of any NCAA championship footage past the 24 hour limit is strictly prohibited and must be removed from the site.

Satellite coordinates. Satellite coordinates for selected championship highlight news feeds will be posted on the NCAA official Web site, http://www.ncaa.com/ in a timely fashion. The coordinates will be available in Eastern Standard Time and will include downlink and audio frequencies as well as a trouble number.

Taped video and audio highlights.  For selected championships, for which live television is not available, the NCAA will record the event and edit a highlight package for news. This highlight package will be up Linked to a designated satellite and will be available to national and local media.  Unless otherwise approved by the NCAA, use of this footage may not exceed three minutes and may be aired only on a regularly scheduled news program devoted exclusively to general news and/or sports news within 72 hours of the game.  Sports entertainment programs do not qualify under this provision, however, regularly scheduled coaches' shows do qualify.Any footage or audio material used above the three-minute news limit or past the 72-hour restriction may only be done with NCAA prior approval. News organizations must provide a graphic footage courtesy "NCAA." Video and audio highlights may also be used on Internet news sites not to exceed two minutes in length and not to be on the site longer than 24 hours after the event has ended.  A graphic footage courtesy, "NCAA" must be included on the footage. Use of any NCAA championship footage past the 24-hour limit is strictly prohibited and must be removed from the site.

Team film/videotape (team videographer). Where applicable, each participating team may use its one "limited access" credential for one camera person to film or videotape its respective games(s). The team representative is not permitted to have an assistant during filming/videotaping and is only permitted to tape their own team's game(s).  At times, the NCAA or its designate may be able to provide an institution a free VHS tape of the "dirty" game feed of its games.  When possible, the tape will be available for retrieval from the site supervisor during each team's respective postgame news conference. No announcer commentary may be used from any NCAA championship broadcast by any network (e.g. CBS, ESPN, CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK) without the prior permission of that broadcast network.  Click here for the Videographer Authorization Form

Thirty-minute rule.  For championships where exclusive television rights have been given (CBS or ESPN), no television station other than the NCAA broadcast partner may broadcast live reports from the site of the competition from 30 minutes prior to the game until the televising network has left the air. The site of competition includes the arena proper, concourses or hallways, and the interview, working press and locker rooms.  All videotape cameras and recorders must leave the site of competition.
 

Related Links

• Directory of Broadcast Staff
• The NCAA's Advertising and Promotional Standards