Media Guides Nearing Extinction

[TexasTerror]

Ohio State and Michigan are no longer producing printed media guides.

Several conferences - including the Missouri Valley Football Conference - are changing how they go about doing media guides (look for flash drives and/or CDs)

Many other schools and conferences are announcing that they are no longer going with printed media guides and will instead make them available online.

Multi-Ad, one of the leading media guide printers is having to adapt to the changes in the media relations business.

As fans, do you even get your team's media guides? Do you get other team's media guides? Are you upset to see them go?

[bluehenbillk]

I've got a UD media guide in the past, but once they started offering one last year online I decided why would I need to purchase one anymore.

College Athletic departments are cutting a lot of expenses, the announcements you're bringing up aren't really a surprise. Print media in all forms is a dying industry.

[danefan]

Albany is going electronic only this year also. Huge money-saver.

[andy7171]

Towson had a really nice big one they sent me last year for the 40th anniversary. Ironically they fired the coaches they were honoring on the cover after the season.

Towson's have been online for the last 3 or 4 years.

[henfan]

I've got a collection of Delaware media guides going back to the 1950s. While UD is producing a hardcopy edition for 2009, I'd be surprised if they continued to do so for much longer. I'll be sad to see the hardcopies disappear but, if it'll save the school money and trees in the process, I'm for the move.

Time marches on.

[andy7171]

Yeah. I'm fine with this one and looking up future stats on the online version.

Plus various parts of my body are in this hardcopy, three times. xcoolx

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm73/andy71717/media2.jpg?t=1243606960
I'm not #32.

(check out my senior year rushing stats xeekx - 1993)

[GannonFan]

Makes no sense anymore to have paper copies of media guides, especially the specially printed ones. It's a bygone era as everything now is going online. Considering the cost savings of producing the same guide but just online, it's not shocking at all.

[Appinator]

Just as a fan, it is disappointing. There is a ton of history and great info in these guides that are nice to have in hard copy form.

It might be picky, but a nice media guide does say a lot about your program. I can't imagine how trashy a stack of PDF printed pages, roughly stapled together, looks on someones desk. The question is, does that added appearance speak enough about your program for a ROI to justify these costs. OSU and Michigan already have prestige, so I don't think anyone is saying "Gosh, those teams are are going down hill". However, as "up and coming" programs in FCS, it might be worth the extra effort.

[ASUG8]

I just checked out our 2008 guide - apparently we've been online since 2006.

[Appinator]

I just checked out our 2008 guide - apparently we've been online since 2006.

To go along with the regular printed ones as well. You could always purchase one through goasu.com

[AppAlum2003]

Yeah. I'm fine with this one and looking up future stats on the online version.

Plus various parts of my body are in this hardcopy, three times. xcoolx

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm73/andy71717/media2.jpg?t=1243606960
I'm not #32.

(check out my senior year rushing stats xeekx - 1993)

What's the asterisk for? Did Barry Bonds rush for 1,500 yards?

[andy7171]

What's the asterisk for? Did Barry Bonds rush for 1,500 yards?

xlolx

School records.

[jmufan999]

It might be picky, but a nice media guide does say a lot about your program. I can't imagine how trashy a stack of PDF printed pages, roughly stapled together, looks on someones desk.

EXCELLENT point, i totally agree.

[TTUEagles]

Tennessee Tech always has a fabulous media guide as compared with others that I saw. I always get one and find it more informative on game day than the usually cheap game programs (except for other team's roster) . Selfishly, I also get to see my name in it for past records, stats, etc. HA!
It's like reading the newspaper online...still something better about have a nice copy in hand...

[aceinthehole]

I don't mind paying for a hard copy one and at CCSU we've had it online for years now.

I'm not sure if this will trickle down to all schools. It may cost more than $100k for Michigan to just print their football media guide, but I doubt CCSU spend that much on all of our media guides combined.

We have less pages and we print less copies. I hope CCSU will keep theirs available in hard copy, even if they charge a few bucks more and only have limited quantaties.

[Retro]

As much as i love the printed media guide, it only makes sense to change with the times and technology available.. Most schools have all the information that is usually in a media guide online via their official website or offshoots along with their ability now to release an online or downloadable media guide.

Still it is fun to just sit back in a chair and read a printed media guide with nice color graphics and photos along with the FCS Preview magazine's we did..

[BearsCountry]

Media guides weren't a real big seller either. Only diehards would get them. I love them but then again I am sports nerd. Electronic version would be fine but I agree with Retro its nice to read a printed one.

[Monarch History]

With this being ODU's first year in FCS, I would be surprised if the school doesn't have a print media guide for sale this first year. I'm sure they could make a profit on sales to Monarch fans who have been starved for football and are excited about this season.

[SideLine Shooter]

I have the last 7 or 8 years media guides for App.State and they do a wonderful job with it. I sure hope they stay with the hard copy. It is real impressive. xthumbsupx

[Syntax Error]

I prefer them on DVD/CD/stick. Much easier to handle.

[Gil Dobie]

Many of the NHL teams also have gone paperless for their media guides. I had a pile of Media Guides at one time, but I need the space for other things right now.

[TexasTerror]

Media guides are pretty useless after the beginning of the season for those who follow teams rather religiously...

You can get all-time records online at most sites and that does the trick. And there's also game notes, which cover most of the bases (pending on the SID and/or sport).

Media guides are mostly for radio, TV guys (and gals) who need to fill in time with facts and bio information about players. Stats, career and season-highs - they can get typically in the game notes.

[Go...gate]

I have Colgate, Princeton and Rutgers media guides going back three or more decades, as well as selected media guides from Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Lafayette. Lehigh, Holy Cross, Davidson, Bucknell, Fordham, Monmouth, Hofstra, Penn and a few others. MGs have always been a fun and useful resource.

[JayJ79]

Just as a fan, it is disappointing. There is a ton of history and great info in these guides that are nice to have in hard copy form.

It might be picky, but a nice media guide does say a lot about your program. I can't imagine how trashy a stack of PDF printed pages, roughly stapled together, looks on someones desk. The question is, does that added appearance speak enough about your program for a ROI to justify these costs. OSU and Michigan already have prestige, so I don't think anyone is saying "Gosh, those teams are are going down hill". However, as "up and coming" programs in FCS, it might be worth the extra effort.

The history and great info is still there, just on computer instead of paper.
And instead of having to have a shelf full of media guides, instead you can have decades full of media guides (or guides for all sorts of different schools) on one hard drive, or CD-ROM, or flash drive.

Granted, that does mean that you can't keep a copy in the bathroom to read whilst on "the throne", but still.

[flea]

I like to have a copy on the shelf & Fordham send me over 1 every year

[catamount man]

Just another sign that modern society is lazy. I will miss getting hard copies and I still adore reading the newspaper on a daily basis but I guess I was born at least 40 years too late.

[TexasTerror]

Just another sign that modern society is lazy. I will miss getting hard copies and I still adore reading the newspaper on a daily basis but I guess I was born at least 40 years too late.

It's a financial thing, not an "easy way out" approach. Michigan and Ohio State each say they will save one-quarter a million dollars.

[JayJ79]

it makes sense for them to switch to just sending them electronically (instead of in paper form) to the media outlets and whatnot.

But I wonder how feasible it would be for them to still make hard copies available for purchase for those fans who wish to have it in that form (or some of the old-timers in the media who can't figure out those new-fangled computer contraptions). They'd already have everything put together for the electronic form, and they wouldn't LOSE money as long as they charged enough for each copy to cover the cost of printing.

[Syntax Error]

that does mean that you can't keep a copy in the bathroom to read whilst on "the throne", but still.They call it a LAPTOP for a reason! xnodx

[Hoyadestroya85]

Yeah. I'm fine with this one and looking up future stats on the online version.

Plus various parts of my body are in this hardcopy, three times. xcoolx

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm73/andy71717/media2.jpg?t=1243606960
I'm not #32.

(check out my senior year rushing stats xeekx - 1993)

and thats with you blocking on the o-line right :D

[LBPop]

I have to say that simply as a fan, I don't mind the disappearance of the printed media guide. But as the Dad of a player, I am thrilled to have several copies from the four years that LBKid played at Georgetown. I'm not sure it would have been the same getting all of his teammates to autograph a DVD. xrolleyesx

[Syntax Error]

I'm not sure it would have been the same getting all of his teammates to autograph a DVD. Naw, you get them all to autograph a piece of paper, scan it, then append it to the pdf.

[JayJ79]

They call it a LAPTOP for a reason! xnodx

- What are you doing in there?
- Downloading!

[GoAgs72]

I couldn't find a hard cover copy of the UC Davis media last year so I printed out all 100+ pages of it and we refer to it often. I like to keep a historical copy for each year. Things disappear on the Internet over time.

[kirkblitz]

Yeah. I'm fine with this one and looking up future stats on the online version.

Plus various parts of my body are in this hardcopy, three times. xcoolx

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm73/andy71717/media2.jpg?t=1243606960
I'm not #32.

(check out my senior year rushing stats xeekx - 1993)

you are the football xconfusedxxconfusedx

[Syntax Error]

I couldn't find a hard cover copy of the UC Davis media last year so I printed out all 100+ pages of it and we refer to it often. I like to keep a historical copy for each year. Things disappear on the Internet over time.
Yes, have to be diligent and save the pdf plus put it on a cd.

[Mr. C]

Some of us STILL use the printed versions of the media guides on a daily basis. From a convenience standpoint, I much prefer the hard copies of guides and hope that people will continue to print them. I also keep the 100-plus I receive each year for historical reasons. Unless schools and conferences send me this information on CDRs or Flash Drives, it will be a huge loss for me. I don't have time to print out and save or to burn 126 school guides and 14 conference guides every year.

As far as using the ones on the Internet, some college web sites are just horrendous to navigate and PDFs that schools insist on using don't always work well and are extremely difficult to negotiate.

[TexasTerror]

Some of us STILL use the printed versions of the media guides on a daily basis. From a convenience standpoint, I much prefer the hard copies of guides and hope that people will continue to print them.

I am certain that the Missouri Valley Football Conference is going to CD or memory stick. Seems memory sticks cost more than printing! Not sure if the schools within are following suit, but I'd assume so...

[TexasTerror]

The new "era" of media guides...?

Here's Colgate's digital guide.

http://clients.internetconsult.com/mediaguide/colgate/

[ngineer]

A good media guide is a nice PR piece that can be put in someone's hands. I really look forward to Lehigh's and take it with me to the games, as it give a lot of background on the players that you don't get in the programs.

[andy7171]

you are the football xconfusedxxconfusedx

The original picture had all of me and was the cover to our school newspaper that week. I'm half faded out in this one, because we all know lineman don't count for S. xrolleyesx

[TexasTerror]

The Big South has eliminated printed media guides...

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60071

[TexasTerror]

Another school joins the list of those not doing them, though not a Div I school.



Indianapolis announced it will not print preseason media guides for any of its 21 varsity sports. Athletics Director Sue Willey said the print savings will funneled into new Web and marketing projects that will benefit fans, media and recruits.

“When schools like Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Marshall, among others, moved swiftly to eliminate printed guides, it gives you a sense of where this issue is heading,” Willey said. “Recruits are so much more Web-savvy, and media are already used to checking the Web site for updated information, so it is the next logical step to focus on improving our Web presence. Measure in the benefits in cost savings and environmental effects and it becomes a no-brainer.”

Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information Mitch Wigness said while media guides served broadcasters and journalists and helped in recruiting, those services are now offered online. “As those can now be better fulfilled through the Web and other avenues, then the printed version becomes more and more obsolete,” Wigness said. “We are at that point.”

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+ii/indy+nixes+media+guides_07_15_09_ncaa_news

[TexasTerror]

The NCAA is going to look at it next month...


The Pac-10 proposal would halt the printing of media guides, recruiting brochures or any other athletics publications (other than game programs) and move those publications online.

The SEC’s version would allow institutions to continue to print media guides (and maintain the current standards for color, size and length) but would prohibit schools from sending them to prospects or their parents/legal guardians, educational institution or coach.

The College Sports Information Directors of America has not taken a position on the matter, though the organization has provided the Recruiting Cabinet with a list of pros and cons regarding elimination of the guides and restricting to whom they may be distributed.

CoSIDA Executive Director John Humenik said regardless of the outcome, the prospective legislation has ramifications beyond simply allowing or prohibiting schools to print the guides.

Although the proposals carry a cost-savings tag, CoSIDA is concerned about a resulting technology arms race among schools that would not only wipe out savings but actually cost more.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/association-wide/media-guide+proposals+affect+more+than+bottom+line_08_28 _09_ncaa_news

[dgreco]

normally bryant has a media guide released by now and at least a preseason prospectus. Nothing this year so we will see if there is one at game 1.