Jacksonville State University Athletics

Contact	Sports	Phone	Email
Donnie Smith, Assistant AD for Media Relations	Football, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Bowling	(256) 782-5915	djsmith@jsu.edu
Preston Odam, Assistant Sports Information Director	Volleyball, Basketball (W), Tennis	(256) 782-5977	oodam@stu.jsu.edu
Tony Schmidt, Assistant Sports Information Director	Baseball, Soccer, Rifle	(256) 782-5377	aschmidt@jsu.edu
Bryce Balch, Assistant Sports Information Director	Basketball (M), Softball, XC/Track	(256) 782-5378	bbalch@jsu.edu

Information on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, all other Conference USA teams and CUSA is available to members of the media 24 hours a day through the various school and conference Internet websites. The Gamecocks' most up-to-date releases and statistics for many sports may be accessed throughout this website. CUSA has a website at conferenceusa.com that is updated daily with statistics and, throughout basketball season, is updated nightly with box scores and conference statistics. Programs, media guides, lineups, statistics, CUSA standings and notes and game background information will be supplied at all home games to accredited media representatives and scouts at Press Row (basketball), and at the Press Tables (soccer) or Press Box (football, softball and baseball). Access to Press Row and Press Rooms at AmFirst Stadium, Pete Mathews Coliseum, Jim Case Stadium at Rudy Abbott Field, the Jax State Soccer Field and Jana McGinnis Field is reserved for properly-credentialed individuals only.

For basketball games, quick stats are provided to broadcasters during time-outs. At football and basketball, NCAA box scores are distributed at halftime with a complete NCAA Final Box Score and Play-by-Play available after the game in the Press Room or Press Boxes. Refreshments will also be served in the Press Box for the media prior to each football game.

Telephones are available after all games, either in the Press Box or Press Room at all events on a first-come, first, served basis.  The best way to reach all of the Jax State coaches is through the Sports Information Office. Please feel free to contact us for assistance in arranging interviews with the coaches.

Please arrange all player interviews through the Sports Information Office, allowing a day in advance, if possible. We will attempt to accommodate every request, taking the players' classroom and practice schedules into account.

Gamecocks coaches and players will be available for post-game interviews following a brief cooling off period. For football, Coach Kelly will be in the post-game press conference in the team room located on the second floor of the Loring and Debbie White Football Building. For basketball, home coaches will be in the post-game press conference in the Media Room. Jax State players may also be brought to the Media Room for interviews by request. Post-game policy for visitors may vary at the teams' discretion. For all other sports, contact the SID for the sport after the game to arrange post-game interviews at the site. Media representatives are advised to contact the visiting SID with special requests. Jacksonville State University follows the guidelines set forth by the NCAA governing the issuance of credentials. Media Credentials are issued by the Jax State Sports Information Office. Press Box passes will be issued to accredited sports writers of daily and weekly newspapers. Similarly, photo and sideline passes will be issued only to accredited members of the photo media working for newspapers and television stations. Press requests should be made to the Jacksonville State Sports Information office by Friday morning of game week and will be carefully screened to ensure a professional working atmosphere. Media must meet the following guidelines based on the determination of the Jacksonville State University Sports Information Office in order to be granted credentials. Only media that meet the criteria will be considered for access to Jacksonville State University press conferences and other media opportunities. Membership in a writers or broadcasters association does not automatically qualify an individual for media credentials. Credentials will generally not be issued for representatives from an outlet that does not have its own dedicated medium of distribution (e.g. outlets that primarily originate from a YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook account) unless approved by the Jax State Athletic Department.

NEWSPAPERS: Credentials will be granted to accredited sports writers of daily and weekly newspapers, with preference given to those newspapers which cover all Jacksonville State football games or the opposing team.

TELEVISION: Credentials will be granted to those stations which cover Jacksonville State football games.

INTERNET SITES: Credentials will be granted to the official website of each participating institution, CUSA and contractual rights-fee paying media and/or the official online service of the national network televising the game. Also receiving consideration will be websites that are part of a national network and those that are affiliated with a national media entity of another form and/or those organizations whose primary purpose is gathering news and disseminating it and for which other commercial activities are ancillary (e.g. espn.com, cbssports.com, si.com, sportsnetwork.com, etc.). Websites that are an extension of a non-digital local media outlet (newspaper, radio, television) will not be issued credentials independent of their originating organization.

No credentials will be issued to any website that is not deemed by the Jacksonville State University Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations to have adequate editorial oversight. Credentials will not be approved to anyone who writes or posts under an alias.

BLOGGING: Jacksonville State University does not credential bloggers. Media representatives already covering the game for an approved media outlet may participate in blogging in accordance with blogging policies of the NCAA.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jacksonville State University follows guidelines set forth by the NCAA in sideline control. The NCAA has established a sideline control policy to keep those areas free from congestion. Only those photographers on assignment will be given sideline passes. The sideline control policy is as follows: (1) Only those photographers on assignment, including student and freelance photojournalists, are given credentials. In addition, each student publication will be issued one press and/or sideline photo pass. (2) Photographers must display their sideline photo passes at all times. If not, they may be asked to leave AmFirst Stadium. (3) University personnel will be deployed on the sideline to ensure no abuses of these privileges. (4) Photographers are urged to shoot from the end zone to the 25-yard line on either side of the field and from either end zone. (5) Photographers and media should not linger in the bench area (between the 30-yard lines) at any time during the game. (6) Absolutely no player or coach interviews will be conducted during the game.

All credentials and press parking requests should come from sports editors, directors or anchors. Press credentials and parking passes will be given to writers in attendance of Monday press luncheons or mailed if the request is received on Monday morning.

Spouses, dates and minors will not be permitted in the Press Box or the sidelines of AmFirst Stadium. Any unauthorized use of credentials will result in revocation of credentials issued by Jacksonville State University and credential requests may not be honored for future Jax State athletic events.

Passes not mailed in advance will be held for pick-up at the "Will Call" window at the plaza ticket booth at AmFirst Stadium (football) or the main ticket booth at Pete Mathews Coliseum (basketball).

Press Row for basketball is located on the main floor of the arena, on the opposite side as the teams in Pete Mathews Coliseum. Seating is limited to working media, professional scouts and accredited school officials. Requests from television stations for highlight cameras will be granted space in football and basketball games on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the case of televised games, all efforts will be made to give the production crew access to prime locations for the broadcast. Post game press conferences will be held in the media room in the Gamecock Fieldhouse for football and in the Media Room in Pete Mathews Coliseum for basketball.
  The Sports Information Office has installed permanent telephone lines at Pete Mathews Coliseum, Jim Case Stadium, Jana McGinnis Field and AmFirst Stadium that are available to visiting radio stations. To arrange for their use or for additional phone lines for broadcasts, please contact the designated sport contact in advance of game day for arrangements.

Television stations desiring live coverage should contact Donnie Smith to request broadcast rights.

Broadcast spotters or statisticians may be secured through the JSU Sports Information Office with advance notice. Parking is free and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Directions to campus athletic facilities are available on this website.