Big Sky brass pleased with first Reno run

[grizzlyjournal]

Huge media attendance and attention in Reno, compared to prior years. Media loved the Reno location. Could plan ahead and cover both men and women at the same time.

PlayerRep: I'm not disagreeing with you or challenging you; would just like some verified info...

The info I heard (from a friend who attended every session @ Reno) was that the conference provided good facilities for press (both courtside AND in after-game press rooms) but that the tourney was nonetheless quite poorly covered otherwise. Some schools had staff from their own Sports Information Depts, but spotty media coverage otherwise. I know that the Missoulian had a staff writer at the conference. I did not, however, see any evidence that a Missoulian staff photographer covered the tourney, nor any evidence that a photographer from the UM Sports Information Services covered the tourney.

I would LOVE to hear any info that any or all of the points below are incorrect. Otherwise it's an indication that press coverage was significantly below the standards that existed during the last several Big Sky tourneys, hosted in Missoula, Ogden and Greeley.

1. An Associated Press stringer for only the final three nights of men's coverage;
2. NO Associated Press photo coverage at all;
3. NO story/photo coverage by the Reno Gazette Journal (besides possibly providing the AP stringer);
4. Game photo coverage by only two newspapers (Sacramento Bee and Ogden Standard Examiner);
5. Game streaming allowed for Big Sky Conference only.
6. No photo coverage by any school Sports Information services.
7. I received no info on TV coverage for Big Sky coverage markets, so I don't know how much coverage existed.

My conclusion: if most or all of the above is true, then it signifies a huge proglem and is probably one of the first things that should be addressed by the Big Sky for next year.

I was told that there was more media in attendance than at any previous tournament. Do you have contrary information?

It's my understanding that local radio did a remote outside the arena.

Conference officials were on local tv morning shows. Don't think that normally occurs at tourneys, including in SLC or Missoula.

Okay, Journal, I will see what I can find out regarding your questions. Not my area, but I will do some digging. Note that I made my post using the words "compared to". In the meantime, could you let us know what occurred at last year's men's and women's Big Sky conference tournaments? That is, in your nos. 1-7, what occurred last year? I want to be able to compare what I may, or may not, find, to what occurred last year.

Journal, where are you getting your information for your no. 3? By Googling, I found multiple stories from that newspaper. I didn't open them and read them, so maybe that is the problem.

I talked briefly to Kyle Sample after he returned. I didn't ask him specific questions, but my impression is that he thought the tournament and Reno location was very good.

PlayerRep: This "hoopla" is no longer a big deal. I'm not trying to make this into something it's not. I appreciate your response & efforts. I actually found/confirmed enough info to answer my own questions: The Big Sky Conference received minimal press coverage (especially by the Reno Gazette/Journal and the Assoicated Press). Furthermore, beyond basic 5-9 paragraph writeups (standard for AP) there was very little coverage by most of the Sports Information Depts of the Big Sky. That shortcoming is certainly NOT the responsibility of the Big Sky Conference. MOST of the stories on the tourney in the RGJ were AP stories, except for the championship game stories. I found only one photo of a tourney game taken by a RGJ photographer and only one AP photo. There was also an alarming dearth of AP photos published. My conclusion: Overall press coverage will have to be dramatically improved if the Big Sky wants to increase interest in this "marquee" event.

The Missoulian's Kyle Sample is an outstanding young sports writer who has done an incredible job covering the Griz this year. Kudos to him. Too bad the Missoulian did not send a photographer with him to cover the tourney. The BEST photo coverage of a Griz game was published by the Sacramento SacBee from Montana's 88-75 win over the Hornets. Thirty three photos. Nice: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/mens-basketball/article65380157.html If the Moscow-Pullman newspaper ran a story with photos, I can't say because it has an iron-clad pay-to-read policy, and I wasn't willing to pay for a subscription just to read one story.

The major contrast is this: The Reno Gazette Journal illustrated how (un)important the Big Sky tourney was to the folks of Reno... when compared to coverage of the Nevada Wolfpack. The Montana-Nevada game ALONE featured a minimum of four stories, including one extended photo essay. That's arguably more than provided the entire Big Sky Tourney. Here are the links:

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2016/03/17/pack-surges-past-montana-late-cbi-victory/81898704/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2016/03/17/pack-notes-lawlor-crowd-credited-win/81899096/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2016/03/17/pack-notes-lawlor-crowd-credited-win/81899096/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2016/03/16/follow-montana-nevada-live/81887090/

AND the pre-game story, which I posted earlier.

Regarding UM's and the Missoulian's coverage of past Big Sky Tourneys? Uniformly outstanding with included photos of most games, extensive photo coverage by UM SID photographers, and press passes to any of the numerous freelance writer-photographers (provided by the Big Sky)... who attended the tourney in Missoula.

What I'm saying is simple: The Big Sky Tourney in Reno could benefit from improved press coverage. Its future success may well depend upon improved coverage (yada, yada, yada). So, I sort of find myself face to face with grizindabox's challenges. And he's right. Deal with it because it's going to be in Reno for two more years.

 

[PlayerRep]

Journal, what's wrong with these articles by Jim Krajewski of the Reno newspaper? These aren't AP or even staff stories.

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/07/big-sky-tournament/81464526/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/12/big-sky-top-seed-weber-state-wins-ot/81693290/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/12/idaho-takes-big-sky-womens-championship/81706714/

This is your area and not mine, so I will defer and retreat to what I am virtually certain is true. Bigger press attendance than in the past. My understanding is that the press liked what they experienced. Local radio doing remote outside the reno. Interviews on local tv of Big Sky conference officials on multiple days.

 

[grizzlyjournal]

Journal, what's wrong with these articles by Jim Krajewski of the Reno newspaper? These aren't AP or even staff stories.

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/07/big-sky-tournament/81464526/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/12/big-sky-top-seed-weber-state-wins-ot/81693290/

http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/2016/03/12/idaho-takes-big-sky-womens-championship/81706714/

This is your area and not mine, so I will defer and retreat to what I am virtually certain is true. Bigger press attendance than in the past. My understanding is that the press liked what they experienced. Local radio doing remote outside the reno. Interviews on local tv of Big Sky conference officials on multiple days.

PlayerRep: Of the three, the story on the Idaho Women's championship win (listed third by you) is good, and it was one I had missed. I object to the first two, (no quotes in the first story and two brief paragraphs on Montana's win over Idaho) simply because of their brevity... though the semifinal story on Weber State's win DID have player quotes. By my recollection, the Missoulian's coverage of last year's tourney was more detailed, with byline stories on every game (I didn't go back & check though) and pretty decent daily photo coverage.

What I'm saying is this: The Griz got nearly as much coverage (certainly more photos) from their single game appearance in Reno vs. the Wolfpack (four stories, a video recap from the RGJ beat writer, Murray, and an excellent 31-photo essay) than did the entire Big Sky Conference men's teams for the full tourney. This all may come down to nit-picking on my part, since the Kyle Sample's stories for the Missoulian were excellent (I should be satisfied with that). But I'm saying that the overall press coverage seems a short-shrift for an event like this, particularly when compared to what I've seen by local press over the past four years.

If I push this much more, then it'll look like I have a grudge against the Big Sky. Not so. I'd actually like to see the tournament succeed on all fronts. Solid arguments can be made against my point of view. Heck, I wasn't in attendance and probably missed a lot. I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[PlayerRep]

Journal, did you analyze the press in the cities of the 11 other schools besides Missoula? Just curious. It seems to me that the press would be Reno, the area of the 12 schools, the national press. Press would include print, internet, radio and tv. My initial question was directed more at newspapers. You might call the conference and see what they say. I would call them, but I don't even know what questions to ask--and I'm packing for a 10-day trip to Beijing. Yippee.

 

[grizindabox]

Journal, did you analyze the press in the cities of the 11 other schools besides Missoula? Just curious. It seems to me that the press would be Reno, the area of the 12 schools, the national press. Press would include print, internet, radio and tv. My initial question was directed more at newspapers. You might call the conference and see what they say. I would call them, but I don't even know what questions to ask--and I'm packing for a 10-day trip to Beijing. Yippee.

Taking a page out of snap's playbook.....Yippee! Please stay there......