Media operations for University of Miami basketball games at the Watsco Center will be altered this season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines are prepared in conjunction with the Watsco Center and the Atlantic Coast Conference for the safety of all involved and may be adjusted based on the latest protocols. If there any changes to the below protocols, the Miami athletics communications office will send out an update and post the adjusted policies.
Credentials
Requests for credentials may be directed via email to Alex Schwartz (alexschwartz@miami.edu) for men’s basketball and Megan Barnes (meganbarnes@miami.edu) for women’s basketball. Credentials and seating in the press area at the Watsco Center will be extremely limited compared to years past. An email will be sent out roughly once per week soliciting credential requests for upcoming games.
Priority will be given to media outlets based upon those which have regularly participated in preseason Zoom media conferences and history of coverage. No more than two credentials will be issued on a single-game basis for any outlet. There are no season credentials for 2020-21; credentials will be distributed on a single-game basis only. A small number of photography and videography credentials will be available; media can also access photography and video from the ACC Box Folder.
Media members may pick up their single-game credential at the box office window at the front of the Watsco Center.
Media interested in covering the Hurricanes on the road also need to make that credential request through Miami, not through the opposing school. Alex Schwartz (alexschwartz@miami.edu, MBB) and Megan Barnes (meganbarnes@miami.edu, WBB) will accept those road credential requests, then work with individuals and the opposing school to determine availability for a specific site as space will be very limited.
Health and Safety Protocols
Temperature checks will be administered on site at the Watsco Center and individuals must affirm that they do not feel ill or have been in contact with an individual who has the COVID-19 virus, among other items in the short form to be completed. Temperature and symptom screenings will take place at the Main Entrance.
A mask must be worn at all times on the arena grounds and in the press area. Media representatives must bring their own mask that fully covers their nose and mouth, plus any other personal protective equipment they wish to use.
All media will be required to enter the Watsco Center through the Main Entrance and must proceed immediately to their assigned spot on the concourse level.
Parking
To those media members whose credentials are approved, single-game parking for the 434N lot (located just north of the Watsco Center) will be distributed via email.
Seating
Individuals must sit in their assigned seat at the location of their place card or designated table/suite. Seats will be properly distanced. To the greatest extent possible, everyone must adhere to physical distancing guidelines (at least six feet apart) while moving within the press area and must wear a mask at all times – this is non-negotiable, and failure to adhere will result in your ejection from the press area.
Media Room
Please note, the media workroom will not be available for use this season. All work pregame and postgame must be done at the media member’s assigned seat. Media will be allowed to enter the Watsco Center one hour prior to tipoff and must exit the facility one hour following the conclusion of the game.
Photographers
ACC operations permit one designated pool photographer with access to shoot the game from the court sidelines. The pool photographer will provide those images for media editorial usage for coverage of the game and will upload them to an ACC Box Folder. Media may access the pool photos in the following folders: Men’s Basketballand Women’s Basketball. The use of ACC game action provided by the ACC remain subject to those restrictions outlined in the ACC News Access Guidelines.
Additional photographers will be provided a space on the concourse to shoot from. No work space or power will be available, just a shooting location. Space is limited and only select individuals will be granted access.
Videographers
ACC operations permit one designated videographer with access to shoot the game from the court sidelines. While all Miami games will air live on television, video highlights will be uploaded to an ACC Box Folder. Media may access the video in the following folders: Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. The use of ACC game action provided by the ACC remain subject to those restrictions outlined in the ACC News Access Guidelines.
Additional videographers will be provided a space on the concourse to shoot from. No work space or power will be available, just a shooting location. Space is limited and only select individuals will be granted access.
Court Enclosure Access
Aside from the pool photographers, approved university staff and the televising network approved personnel, no other media representatives are permitted within the court enclosure. This includes all times including pregame, halftime and postgame, as well as during the competition.
Radio
Radio crews will be allowed to broadcast from the Watsco Center for the 2020-21 season. The designated location for radio crews this season will be at the suite level of the Watsco Center on the team bench side of the arena. Specific suites will be designated for each radio crew on a game-by-game basis. Each suite will have an Ethernet hookup.
Radio crews will be asked to follow the guidelines noted above, entering through the Watsco Center Main Entrance and are asked to proceed directly to their designated suite. There will be no courtside access for radio crews this season.
Game Notes/Statistics
Game notes and statistics will be available online; there will be no printed copies provided in the press box. Live statistics will be available during the event online on MiamiHurricanes.com, the Miami Hurricanes mobile app and miami.statbroadcast.com. A PDF of the final statistics will be posted postgame on MiamiHurricanes.com.
Refreshments/Food
There will no longer be a buffet-style meal (men’s basketball) or food vouchers (women’s basketball) at the Watsco Center this year. Media members will be allowed to bring outside food and drink into the arena, but will be required to eat the food at their assigned seat. Photographers/videographers without a work space will be permitted to eat in the top row of the section in front of their designated shooting area.
Postgame Interviews
All postgame interviews will be conducted through Zoom. Head coaches Jim Larrañaga and Katie Meier and select student-athletes will be available as soon as possible following games for both home and away events. Links for the video conference will be provided to approved media who request access from Alex Schwartz (alexschwartz@miami.edu, MBB) and Megan Barnes (meganbarnes@miami.edu, WBB) prior to tipoff.
Should the visiting team decide to conduct a postgame press conference, a Zoom link will be distributed accordingly to approved media who request access.
