After sporting events covered by the media, reporters scramble to get interview time with coaches and players.
On the professional level, reporters often have access to a team's locker room. At the collegiate level, the situation is different. Most college locker rooms are closed to the press, which can change how a journalist covers a game.
John Perrotto is a sports writer for the Beaver County Times near Pittsburgh. He said an interview environment affects the nature of post-game quotes after a game.
If you're in front of a room full of people giving a speech
you're not going to be as relaxed as you will be if you're talking one on one he said.
Officials at universities with closed locker rooms give several reasons for the policies. College locker rooms are often smaller than pro locker rooms, and so space is an issue, said Steve Snapp, assistant athletic director for athletic communications at Ohio State.
It's a matter of convenience he said. If we have 150 media members talking to 10 or 11 players
it's much too crowded.
Other issues, such as giving athletes a place to cool off
factor in too, Snapp said. Athletes at Ohio State meet the press in an interview room after their time in the locker room.
Perrotto said he prefers locker-room interviews.
It is much easier
Perrotto said. You get a better feel for people
and you get a better sense of the emotion of the situation.
Emotions, however, might be what college athletic departments want to keep reined in, Perrotto said.
I think colleges do that because they don't want athletes to say anything remotely controversial
he said. You're not going to talk off the cuff in a press conference.
One college athlete caught national attention for speaking off the cuff in his team's locker room this fall. Kellen Winslow Jr., a tight end for the Miami Hurricanes, likened football to war when talking with the media in Miami's open locker room after a 10-6 loss to Tennessee in November.
Miami lets journalists into its football locker room after games - an exception to the rule - but the incident did not lead Miami officials to any quick change in policy, said Mark Pray, assistant athletic director for communication at Miami.
We have 15 minutes before anyone is allowed in
he said. (Winslow's comments) happened sometime after the locker room was opened
after the cooling down period.
Pray said the policy is part tradition and part service to the local media.
Any professional team allows access like this
he said. This is a professional town. That's what the media is used to.
At Ohio, locker rooms are closed, but Jim Stephan, Ohio sports information coordinator, said the effort is made for athletes to be available.
There's a difference between a locker room being open - physically open - and a locker room being open
