The following information was prepared to assist you with your coverage of the upcoming OHSAA state winter sports tournaments. Please contact Bob Goldring at the OHSAA (e-mail: bgoldring@ohsaa.org; fax: 614-267-1677) should you have further questions.

BOYS DATES: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 13, 14 and 15
LOCATION: Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University (555 Borror Drive, Columbus)
DIRECTIONS: Value City Arena is located at the corner of Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road There are two primary routes to get to the area: 1.) — Take State Route 315 to the Lane Avenue exit. If coming from the north, turn left (east) onto Lane Avenue; if coming from the south, turn right (east) onto Lane Avenue. At the first intersection, turn left (north) onto Fred Taylor Drive and you will see the arena on the right. 2.) — Take State Route 315 to the Ackerman Road exit, located just north of the Lane Avenue exit. If coming from the north, turn left (east) onto Ackerman Road; if coming from the south, turn right (east) onto Ackerman Road. At the first main intersection, turn right (south) onto Fred Taylor Drive and you will see the arena on the left.
HOTELS: An updated local hotel listing is posted on the OHSAA web site (www.ohsaa.org).
BOYS TIMES AND FORMAT: Thursday: 10:45-Div. II semifinal (Fairborn regional winner vs. Bowling Green regional winner); 2:00- Div. II semifinal (Athens regional winner vs. Canton regional winner); 5:15-Div. IV semifinal (Columbus regional winner vs. Canton regional winner); 8:30-Div. IV semifinal (Bowling Green regional winner vs. Dayton regional winner); Friday: 10:45-Div. III semifinal (Canton regional winner vs. Athens regional winner); 2:00-Div. III semifinal (Bowling Green regional winner vs. Fairborn regional winner); 5:15-Div. I semifinal (Cleveland regional winner vs. Cincinnati regional winner); 8:30-Div. I semifinal (Akron regional winner vs. Columbus regional winner); Saturday: 10:45-Div. II final; 2:00-Div. IV final; 5:15- Div. III final; 8:30-Div. I final.
CREDENTIALS: Fax your request form to Bob Goldring at the OHSAA office (614-267-1677) as soon as you know you will be covering the state tournament. If you do not know your plans now, fax in your request as soon as possible following the conclusion of the regional tournaments. The deadline to submit requests for the girls tournament is noon on Tuesday, March 4. The deadline to submit requests for the boys tournament is noon on Tuesday, March 11. The OHSAA will post a list on its web site of those media members who have requested and been approved for credentials. The approved girls list will be posted by noon on Wednesday, March 5. The approved boys list will be posted by noon on Wednesday, March 12. If your name does not appear on the list, either space has been filled or your organization does not qualify for credentials according to policies established by the OHSAA. Once you access the web site (www.ohsaa.org), the list can be found under the “OHSAA News & Media” dropdown box. Efforts will be made to fill all requests for credentials. However, with high interest and limited space, it may be impossible to fill every request. Priority will be given to daily newspapers, TV and radio stations from the major metropolitan areas and media outlets with teams in the tournament.
PARKING: Some media members will be mailed a parking pass, which is good for the Scarlet 3 and 4 lots located close to the media entrance at the Northeast Rotunda. The lot is shown on the attached map and can be accessed from either Fred Taylor Drive or Olentangy River Road. Others will have a parking pass left at a local hotel for pickup the day of the contest. Details will be posted on the OHSAA web site the week of the tournament. Unfortunately, not every media member can be accommodated with a parking pass. If parking passes do not remain, parking is free at the lots around the facility near the baseball stadium and track. A shuttle service is provided from the Buckeye Parking Lots at the north end of Fred Taylor Drive to bring those who park in those lots to the arena.
CREDENTIAL PICKUP/MEDIA ENTRANCE: A limited number of credentials will be mailed to those media outlets who normally cover the entire state tournament. Those who do not have their credentials mailed will pick them up at the media entrance to the arena. Whether you are mailed your credentials or must pick them up, all media members must enter the arena at the Northeast Rotunda, which faces Olentangy River Road and the Fawcett Center. Once in the Rotunda, turn right to enter the Fred Taylor Room. You must sign in and obtain further instructions in the Fred Taylor Room. The entrance is shown on the attached map. Media members may be requested to show an employee identification card upon entry at the Fred Taylor Room. Those who do not provide an I.D. card may be denied entrance. Those outlets that do not issue employee I.D. cards must write to the OHSAA in advance and identify the person who will be assigned to cover the tournament for their outlet. Upon entry, that person will then be required to show some form of photo I.D. before a credential is issued.
WORK SPACE: Reporters with all-game access may work at press row in your assigned seat. Those with credentials issued on a game-by-game basis may work in the media work room in the arena. Photographers also may work in the media work room.
TELEPHONES: The OHSAA will provide a few courtesy lines for media use in the media work room. These lines are to be used for newspapers to transmit their stories or photographers to transmit photos back to their newspapers. Calls are to be collect, with a credit card or with a toll-free number. Media outlets who are providing radio play-by-play, radio reports or need a personal line must make their own arrangements and pay for charges. To order a line, fax a request to the attention The Ohio State University’s Telecommunications and Networking Department within the Office of Information Technology. The fax number is (614) 688-3425. You can also speak to an account manager at (614) 292-6080. Your fee will include installation and lease of the line for the weekend. If you order a line, you must bring your own telephone and telephone cord. Neither will be provided. A technician will be on hand during the tournament to resolve any problems.
INTERVIEWS: No media members, including photographers, are permitted in locker rooms at any time. A post-game news conference will take place in the Media Interview Room, located at floor level, following a brief cooling off period. The head coach and key players will attend. An OHSAA media escort will coordinate media members obtaining “quick quotes”or “quick sound bites” from one team if they are waiting near the interview room for the other team to finish its news conference. However, all radio post-game shows will take place after the news conference. Once the first team finishes its news conference, all one-on-one interviews must stop immediately, and the second team is required to attend the news conference. For the championship games, interviews for “quick quotes” or “quick sound bites” will be permitted on the floor immediately following the awards ceremony. News conferences will also take place in the Media Interview Room. Additional one-on-one interviews, besides the “quick quotes” or “quick sound bites,” will take place after the news conference.
POST-GAME PHOTOS: For the semifinals and finals, still and TV photographers will be permitted on the court for “celebration” types of photos. For championship games, you will then be asked to leave the immediate court area so that fans can view the awards ceremonies.
TELEVISION INTERVIEWS: Interviews with coaches and players are not permitted on the court after contests. TV reporters may enter the floor to do a “stand-up” but, as previously mentioned, they must wait to conduct one-on-one interviews with any coaches or players. Keep in mind that for the semifinals, a media escort will assist you with quick interviews if one team is waiting courtside for the other to wrap up its press conference. And for the finals, the escort will also help you to conduct courtside interviews, but they will take place after the awards ceremony. No media members are permitted in team locker rooms.
TELEVISION NEWS: Credentials will be issued for a photographer and reporter from the station to use at limited locations matside (seating will not be available). Lights on cameras are not permitted either when shooting a game or when shooting a reporter filing a story and using the basketball court for a background while a contest is in progress. Shots from spectator seating areas are not permitted without prior permission from the OHSAA.
RADIO NEWS: All-tournament credentials for radio reporters are not available. A telephone number will be available for radio stations to call into the Schottenstein Center for a score update. Please contact Bob Goldring at the OHSAA if you are interested in this service. Single game credentials for radio reporters are available. Seats are limited and all requests may not be honored. Market size may determine whether credentials are issued and seat locations. 
LIVE RADIO BROADCASTS: The cost to broadcast the entire tournament is $420. Payment must be included with the application form. The cost to broadcast a single game is $100 for all stations located in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Warren and Youngstown; $90 for stations located in Elyria, Lima, Lorain, Mansfield, Springfield and Willoughby, and $80 for all other stations. Payment must be made before a station is on the air. Stations are responsible for telephone line arrangements and charges.
LIVE TV SHOTS: See the attached sheets entitled “Television Production Procedures for the 2008 OHSAA State Wrestling and Basketball Tournaments.”
LIVE OR TAPE-DELAY TELECASTS/CABLECASTS: See the attached sheets entitled “Television Production Procedures for the 2008 OHSAA State Wrestling and Basketball Tournaments.”
THOSE NEEDING A WORKING MEDIA CREDENTIAL AND A PHOTO CREDENTIAL: Media members performing both duties should request a photographer’s credential, which will still allow you to conduct post-game interviews, obtain statistics, etc. However, seating for these credentials is not guaranteed.
HOSPITALITY: There is a Media Hospitality Room located at floor level. Meals will be served as selected times during the tournaments. Media members are requested to remain inside the Media Hospitality Room with their food and beverages (teams will be entering/exiting the court in the hallway directly outside the Hospitality Room). Only water is permitted at courtside.
YOUR HOSTS: Brenda Murray, the OHSAA’s coordinator of publications and web site, will oversee media members checking in at the Fred Taylor Room. Other personnel will be on hand to oversee operations at press row. Bob Goldring, the OHSAA’s assistant commissioner for information, will also be available to answer questions.

The following media outlets have been approved for media credentials to cover the
2008 State Boys Basketball Tournament.
March 13-15, 2008.