IMPORTANT — IMPORTANT — IMPORTANT
1.)
Sectional, District and Regional Tournament Requests: Notify the
tournament site manager to arrange for media
credentials. Click here to
go to the Boys Basketball web page to access
sectional and district
tournament information. Then click on the
district you are covering.
Tournament site manager's contact information
is located there.
2.)
2008 OHSAA Credential Policies
3.) State Tournament
Media Credential Information
GIRLS DATES: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 6, 7 and 8
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).
GIRLS TIMES AND FORMAT: Thursday: 1:00-Div. II semifinal (Barberton regional winner
vs. Ontario regional winner); 3:00-Div. II semifinal (Vandalia regional winner vs.
Zanesville regional winner); 6:00-Div. IV semifinal (Massillon regional winner vs. Elida
regional winner); 8:00-Div. IV semifinal (Pickerington regional winner vs. Vandalia
regional winner); Friday: 1:00-Div. III semifinal (Vandalia regional winner vs.
Cuyahoga Falls regional winner); 3:00-Div. III semifinal (Lancaster regional winner vs.
Lexington regional winner); 6:00-Div. I semifinal (Canton regional winner vs. Westerville
regional winner); 8:00-Div. I semifinal (Norwalk regional winner vs. Fairborn regional
winner); Saturday; 10:45-Div. II final; 2:00-Div. IV final; 5:15-Div. III final;
8:30-Div. I final.
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.W2008
4.)
Television Production Frequently Asked
Questions
5.) Columbus Area Lodging
- Directions to the Schottenstein Center
| Take St. Rt. 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 your right. |
| A second route is to take St. Rt. 315 to 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. At
the first main intersection, turn right (south) onto Fred Taylor Drive and you will see
the arena on your left. |
6.) Tournament Results posted
on www.ohsaa.org
|
