Covering the Leopards

Introduction

To enhance the total college experience, Wentworth student-athletes compete in 15 Division III varsity sports in the fall, winter and spring seasons. A major part of being a student-athlete is having to deal with both electronic and print media outlets in a local (in the school area and/or hometown), regional, and/or national setting. The Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Communications at Wentworth Institute of Technology is responsible for creating and distributing all news releases, media information and brochures/guides for each of the varsity sports and the student-athletes involved in those sports. The Associate AD/DAC will also handle the setting up of all interviews with student-athletes, coaches and/or athletic administrators.

Media Policies

With this in mind, the Wentworth Institute of Technology Athletic Communications Office has established the following guidelines for student-athletes, coaches, administrators and representatives of the media to follow:

Interviews with student-athletes, coaches and/or administrators will be arranged through the DAC. Student-athletes will not miss class time to be available for interviews, nor will interviews be conducted no later than 60 minutes prior to practice, or on the day of the game, unless ECAC or NCAA competition warrants it. Coaches will be available for interviews no later than 60 minutes prior to the start of practice, and no interviews will be conducted on the day of the game, unless ECAC or NCAA competition warrants it. Post-game interviews with student-athletes and/or coaches will not be conducted until at least a 10-minute post-game cooling off period has expired and coaches have released the student-athletes. At that time, coaches and student-athletes will be made available for interviews. If you have a specific student-athlete you would like to interview, please let the DAC know well before the end of the contest.

Interviews will be conducted through the Athletic Communications Office only. Due to FERPA and Wentworth policies, home phone numbers, cell phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for student-athletes, coaches and/or administrators will not be given out. Should a student-athlete not be available at a designated time, he or she will call you back from the Athletic Communications Office.

Rosters, schedules, statistics, and results are available on Wentworth’s Athletics website and are updated, at a minimum, daily.

Obtaining Credentials

The following policies will be in place for media wishing to cover a Wentworth athletic event:

Any media wishing to attend a Wentworth Institute of Technology athletic event must contact Bill Gorman, Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Communications, no later than two days (48 hours) prior to the scheduled contest so that space will be made available. Only one person per credential will be allowed due to space limitations in Tansey Gym and photographers will only be limited to one credential per person. In the event of NCAA or ECAC competition, requests for credentials must be made no later than three days (72 hours) prior to the first scheduled competition. Media will be provided with updated statistics for both teams, rosters, and any applicable notes pertaining to the contest. If a final box score needs to be faxed and/or emailed to your outlet, please let us know ahead of time.

If Wentworth is providing a webcast for a home contest, that is the only webcast that will be allowed for that particular contest. Visiting teams may NOT stream an event from Wentworth’s facilities (including ones the Institute rents off-campus) unless Wentworth has declined to provide a webcast AND permission to do so has been granted by the Athletic Communications Office.

Still photographers may shoot in Tansey Gym and/or Sweeney Field provided they stay along the baselines (in Tansey Gym) and along the sidelines (at Sweeney Field) and do not use a flash or other types of lighting that will distract play at any time during the contest. In Matthews Arena, photographers will be allowed to shoot action through the glass along the dasher boards, or from the lower seating bowl, but are not allowed to use any form of flash. At all venues, photographers are NOT allowed to shoot from team/bench areas or will be allowed inside of locker rooms. The latter may be waived ONLY by the Associate AD for Athletic Communications in the event of a special occasion (i.e. championship celebration).

Videographers must also comply with this policy at all sites. For Tansey Gym and Sweeney Field, space is limited to the home team and visiting team in the film area. Others wishing to video events, may do so from the bleachers. Video equipment may not be set up near player benches or on base/end lines. In Matthews Arena, there is an adequate area to film on the second level of the rink.

Please be advised that there are no phone lines available at Tansey Gymnasium as well as at Sweeney Field, however there is access to Wentworth’s wireless network at both sites for broadcast of contests in the event of webcasting. Requests to broadcast must be submitted to the Athletic Communications Office no later than two weeks prior to the event and outlets are limited to two individuals, due to space limitations. If a radio station wishes to broadcast from Matthews Arena, there may be a phone line available to rent for $100 per game (per HOCKEY EAST policy). The check, made out to Northeastern University, must be delivered the day of the game in order to gain access to the phone line and the station must call into the phone line to start the broadcast. The station will also be limited to two credentials, because of press box space limitations. The phone number will be given out the day of the game. The press box at Matthews Arena has both wired and wireless internet access.

In accordance with NCAA and College Sports Information Directors of America policies, there will be absolutely no cheering in designated press areas. Violators of this policy will be asked to leave the premises and future credentials will be suspended.

Referring to Wentworth

When referring to the college in any game or feature story, please use "Wentworth Institute of Technology" in your first reference. Any reference after that, the school name can be shortened to "Wentworth." Please refrain from using "Wentworth Institute," "Wentworth Tech," or "WIT.

If there are any questions regarding this, feel free to contact Bill Gorman, Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Communications, at (617) 989-4147 or via e-mail at gormanb@wit.edu.