Internal and external communication of information relating to the Athletics Department as well as other pertinent departmental information is the responsibility of the Sports Information Office.
Interviews
It is the responsibility of the Director of Sports Information to serve as the liaison for the department with the media including but not limited to generating story ideas, development of press releases, game stories, etc. To ensure integrity of the particular program as well as the Department and the institution, all interviews with local, regional and national media must first be communicated to the Director of Sports Information or, in his / her absence, the Assistant Director for Sports Information. Coaches are not permitted to coordinate, schedule or solicit interviews with the media unless approved by the Sports Information Director.
Promotional Pieces
Coaches and staff work directly with the Sports Information Director in the development of all printed materials representing specific programs and the department, including but not limited to media / recruiting guides, seasonal releases, schedule cards, brochures, and game and tournament programs, etc.
Home Event Management
The Director of Sports Information is responsible for game-day management of the press box / press table and statistical crew, as well as the dissemination of game stories / statistics to media covering both Buffalo State and the opponent.
Web Site
Maintenance and timely update of the Department's official web site (www.buffalostateathletics.com) is the responsibility of the Sports Information Director. Coaches and / or staff are not permitted to make changes on the web site but may confer / work with the Sports Information Director to make changes.
Photography
Individual and team photos are scheduled through the Sports Information Office. Individual photos should be scheduled AT LEAST three days prior to your first official contest. The Sports Information Office will also hire a professional photographer to take action photography at one contest per season for each sport. If a coach is granting permission to someone else to take action photos of our student athletes, please request he/she share their images with the Sports Information Office.
Post-Season Awards
Coaches work directly with the Sports Information Director to nominate student-athletes for post-season awards (ie: Academic All-America, All-America, etc.).
Gameday Reporting
The Sports Information Director is responsible for the timely reporting game statistics of each program to organizations, media outlets, etc. (NCAA, SUNYAC, etc.).
Athletics Awards Banquet
Buffalo State Athletics holds its annual awards banquet (the Benjis) on the last Sunday in April or first Sunday in May. The event, developed and implemented through the Sports Information Office, honors major award winners, seniors, and the team of the year. The event is free and open to all student-athletes, families and the public. All coaches and staff must attend. It is also the coaches responsibility to communicate and ensure your team is in attendance.
Major Awards
Male and Female Athletes of the Year – Awarded to the top male and female athletic performers of the athletic season as voted by the staff. Athletes participating in spring sports are nominated based on their accomplishments from the previous spring. Coaches speak on behalf of the student-athletes and present the awards.
Ruth Houston Award (female) and Hube Coyer Award (male) – Awarded to the top male and female seniors for outstanding career accomplishments as voted by the staff. Athletes participating in spring sports are nominated based on their accomplishments from the previous spring. Coaches speak on behalf of the student-athletes and present the awards.
Male and Female Rookies of the Year
Alumni Scholar Athlete Awards – Awarded to the male and female seniors who have best combined academic and athletic excellence.
Team of the Year – Awarded to the most outstanding Bengals' team as voted by the staff.
Other Awards
Senior Varsity Athlete Awards – Given to senior student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility at Buffalo State in a ceremony prior to the banquet.
Golden Bengal Service Award – Awarded to a member of the college community who has gone above and beyond his or her job description to assist the athletics department.
Nomination and Voting Process
The Sports Information Office will solicit nominations for the Ruth Houston, Hube Coyer, Male and Female Athletes of the Year, Male and Female Rookies of the Year, Team of the Year and Golden Bengal Service Award in late-March or early April. The Sports Information Office will then assemble a ballot with the nominees names and any pertinent information. All head coaches and full-time staff members will then have the opportunity to vote for the student-athletes they feel are the most deserving of the specific awards. These final votes will be due at in early-April. Each coach will also be responsible with providing the Sports Information Office with a list of all seniors from their respective teams at this time.
Assessment
All student athletes must complete the athletics assessment survey at the conclusion of each athletic season. Each head coach MUST schedule a meeting with the Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Information/Compliance at the conclusion of the season. The meeting is mandatory for all student-athletes and should take less than 30 minutes. In addition, an online "exit" survey will be administered via email to all seniors in late April or early May.
Duplicating
Any copy needs greater than 75 total copied pages must be made in the Copy Center in the basement of Grover Cleveland Hall. All jobs being sent to the Copy Center must be reviewed and approved first by the Associate Director of Athletics for Sport Information. If the copies are related to a camp or another fundraising activity for your program, the cost must come out of your foundation account and appropriate approval must be received from the Budget Manager prior to sending the job.
The Copy Center can print up to 11x17. Institutional graphics in Bulger Communication Center can produce larger prints and/or mounted projects. These jobs require a one week lag time and must be paid for out of foundation (approval required) or personal cash. The Sports Information Office will provide assistance in creating any requested pieces as long as a minimum of one week advance notice is provided.
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