Oregon State Athletic Communications Selected To 'Super 11'
May 3, 2013
CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Oregon State athletic communications department was honored as one of the "Super 11" best in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision during the 2012 season by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) on Friday.
Joining Oregon State in the fourth "Super 11" field are Baylor, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Georgia, Houston, Minnesota, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wyoming.
Since the FWAA's inception in 1941, one of the organization's charges is to provide better working conditions for writers across the country. Over the years, the FWAA has given out press box commendations to deserving schools and has conducted ratings of sports information departments.
"There are many outstanding sports information departments representing schools across the nation," said Tim Griffin, the FWAA's 2010 president and chairman of the Super 11 selection committee. "But we continue to feel it is very important to honor the best of the best - including some we've honored multiple times over the years. These 11 departments are consistently exemplary above and beyond the call of duty."
"It is our commitment to continue to honor in upcoming years the departments who understand the demands of our jobs and strive to do what they can to try and help us on a consistent basis."
Criteria in determining the winners not only included how press boxes/operations were run, but the quality and timeliness of information provided, the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, personal responsiveness to media inquires as well as the accessibility of players, head and assistant coaches. The ratings also took into consideration the departments that went the extra mile in servicing the media.
The Super 11 Committee received input from other FWAA members covering college football during a period from Feb. 1, 2012 through Jan. 31, 2013.
"Just by the mere fact we have nine new departments this season shows that a growing number of schools are realizing the importance of good SID departments," said FWAA executive director Steve Richardson. "We salute these schools and the ones in the past who have been selected to this group."
In January 2009, at its board meeting, the FWAA formed the first Super 11 Committee. The concept is supported by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), many of whom are members of the FWAA.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.
Members of Oregon State's athletic communications staff are Steve Fenk, Jason Amberg, John Cantalupi, Hank Hager, Shawn Schoeffler, Barry Beal and Matt Franzblau.
The awards ...
In 2009, the Football Writers Association of America introduced its Super 11 Awards, designed to identify and reward the sports information departments and programs that exemplified excellent media relations.
The criteria ...
The following ten areas were set forth as the criteria/standards for selection for the awards:
• Players (eligible and playing in varsity games) who are requested should be available to media during Mondays and Tuesdays of game week (minimum).
• Defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator should be available to media once a week during the season (minimum) and once a month during the off-season (minimum).
• Freshmen who play should be available to media.
• If former players and/or boosters are allowed into scrimmages or practices, the media should not be excluded from those same scrimmages or practices.
• Coaches should be available to media on their campuses at least once a week during the season for no less than 30 minutes. They also should be made available after practice each day for updates on the team. Weekly telephonic press conferences do not count toward these times.
• A "no cheering in the press box" statement should be made in the press box before the beginning of each half of play. In addition, SID's should make every attempt to keep the press box quiet and escort disruptive individuals to the exits.
• Requests for quotes from key players injured in a game should be granted by the home SID and his staff.
• FWAA member(s) should help the each SID with requests for players to be interviewed after a game. Any player who has played (and is not injured) and is not made available for interviews will be so noted by FWAA observers. The FWAA recommends open locker rooms after games, but short of this, any player who plays in a game and is not injured, upon request, should be made available to the media.
• An FWAA pool reporter or a reputable news person should be designated by the home SID before every game in case there is an officiating controversy during the game.
• Boosters should not be present at postgame news conferences involving the media, coaches and players. Interruptions or noise will be duly noted by the FWAA observer. Press boxes where non-media are disruptive will also be noted.
The 2011 recipients ...
The 2011 winners of Super 11 Awards were the following programs: Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Syracuse, USC, Utah State and Western Kentucky.
The 2010 recipients ...
The 2010 winners of Super 11 Awards were the following programs: Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Navy, Northwestern, Rutgers, Troy, Tulsa, USC and Utah.
The 2009 recipients ...
The 2009 winners of Super 11 Awards were the following programs: Buffalo, Clemson, East Carolina, Georgia, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, San Jose State, Texas, USC and Utah.
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