NCAA Clarifies Live Blogging Policy

Posted on June 20, 2007

The Courier-Journal reports that the NCAA has issued the following statement to explain why a Courier-Journal reporter Brian Bennett was recently booted from live-blogging a NCAA baseball game. The statement says the reporter's press credential were revoked because he was live-blogging play-by-play reports from the press box. That is not allowed under NCAA rules. However, it is okay to issue in-game updates that include the score and time.

"Coverage of a recent incident involving a reporter having his media credential revoked at an NCAA championship requires clarification on both why this action was taken as well as current NCAA policy. The reporter's credential was revoked because he continued to blog live play-by-play reports from the press box after being repeatedly asked to stop. Any transmission of live play-by-play information by any entity other than a media rights holder is prohibited.
Following this incident, the NCAA issued incorrect information to credentialed media which stated that in-game updates of any type are prohibited. In fact, in-game updates to include score and time remaining in competition are permissible by any media entity whether credentialed or not.
We apologize for any confusion that may have resulted from the incorrect information."

Score and time are allowed but who gets a home run or swings at a pitch and misses is not? It seems like it would be very hard for the NCAA to stop this information from being live blogged from a cell phone should someone want to do it. An ESPN article about the issue called Step Away from the Laptop! lists one of the posts that got Brian Bennett tossed from covering the game.

"The Cards didn't get this kind of pitching in Missouri. If they can pitch like this and keep hitting like they do, whoa."

It is absurd that the NCAA thinks blog posts like this would lower attendance or keep people from listening to the game on the radio or watching a game on television.