"We are going to close practice to the media," the head coach told the assembled beat writers at an event today. "If I wanted to do what was in the best interests of Lane Kiffin, I'd leave practices open. But it's my job to do things that are in the best interest of the team, so we are closing practices. We are not going to change the (post-practice) access to the players or me. We are basically following most of college football and pro sports. This was the best decision for the team."
For you the fan, the daily practice reports will no longer include descriptions of practice plays, events or injuries. We will continue to cover the team post-practice with news, interviews and features. And, although USC's NCAA sanctions preclude open public practices, Kiffin anticipates that fans will have opportunities during fall camp to view practice from Dedeaux Field as they did during spring ball.
Kiffin did not reach this conclusion lightly, but after three years of tinkering with the practice policy and researching the policies of other major college football programs and professional teams, the head coach decided that it was best to set definitive boundaries, so that the team is protected strategically. Last year, with USC's injury reporting policy, many media outlets chose not to attend practice.
Fall camp begins Saturday, August 3. The Trojans practice every day from August 3-25.
