I've long thought the NCAA and ESPN have just about ruined college sports, and here's another reason why. Note the following, which was emailed Tuesday afternoon by a GSU media relations person sharing the news:
To media covering Georgia Southern at Delaware for the NCAA FCS Semifinal:
The following regulations for broadcast and video were sent by the NCAA today. Please review these regulations carefully.
NCAA REGULATIONS FOR BROADCAST & VIDEO FOR EVENTS WITH LIVE TELEVISION COVERAGE
Saturday’s game is an ESPN production, so this plan is in effect for Georgia Southern's game at Delaware this weekend.
Authorized media entities shall use the network feed via the video and audio distributing facilities provided by the ESPN to acquire video. Media may not film any game action.
These media entities recognize that any video may be used for broadcast within a 72-hour period after the game and the film clip or video portion of each such showing shall not exceed three minutes in length for regularly scheduled, televised b programs.
If the event has live-television coverage, television entities may not air highlights of a game until the network’s broadcast of that event has been completed. At televised events, local television stations, regional sport networks or national cable networks may televise live reports or film from inside the venue up until 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Once the “30-minute rule” passes, media may still televise from outside the venue.
For the 2010 Fall Championship season, the NCAA prohibits any video highlights of any NCAA championship to be posted on any websites except for www.NCAA.com <http://www.ncaa.com/> and individual official school and conferences websites. If highlights are shown on an individual school or conference, they can only be three minutes in length and can only be on the site for 24 hours. This video can only be filmed by the institution’s videographer. Each school is entitled to a videographer, who can shoot video during the game. However, these highlights should only used on the official athletics website.
Thus, video highlights cannot be shown on a newspaper or TV website. Also, highlights cannot be shown on any other website, including a school website other than the official athletic website.
If agencies do not obey the rules of NCAA Digital Rights, these actions could prevent the agency of being granted credentials to a NCAA Championship event in the future.
Just repeating, media members will not able shoot video during the game. They may shoot up until 30 minutes prior to the start of the game and can shoot once the game is over, but in-between, media members are not allowed to shoot video. Only school videographers are allowed to shoot video for institutional purposes only (Coach's Show on TV and official athletic website).
Just thought I'd share.
Jeff Whitten covers sports for the Bryan County News and Coastal Courier.