The USC Sports Brands & Communications Office is located in the south wing of the first floor of Heritage Hall. The office phone number is (213) 740-8480. Nearby on-campus parking is available by calling the office in advance.
SPORTS BRANDS & COMMUNICATIONS STAFF
Kristen Keller
Associate Athletic Director
MBB kellerk@usc.edu
Darcy Couch
Assistant Athletic Director
MWP, WBB, WWP, ROW dcouch@usc.edu
Katie Ryan
Director of Football Communications
FB katierya@usc.edu
Jacob Breems
Associate Director
WSOC, BSB breems@usc.edu
Jeremy Wu
Associate Director
MVB, WVB, BVB jjw@usc.edu
Gia Larez
Assistant Director
M/W SWIM, WTEN glarez@usc.edu
Trent Spinner
Assistant Director
LAX, MTEN, WGOLF, MGOLF tspinner@usc.edu
POLICIES
Media Credential Policy
A media credential is issued for the sole purpose of providing access to a media member who has a legitimate working function in connection with USC games. A media credential is non-transferable and USC may limit, suspend or terminate access to the USC athletic events and revoke a media credential at any time.
Because of space limitations, only members of the media who cover USC on a regular basis (plus media accompanying the visiting team and national media) will be considered for credentials to USC home games. Credentials are issued on a game-by-game basis.
Credential holders:
Shall not enter, and shall remain outside, the designated team bench at all times, and shall not have contact with the coaching staff or student-athletes during the game except for the pre-approved in-game live media interviews with the coaching staff or current student-athletes.
Shall not have any contact with any USC prospective student-athlete (or their relatives or friends) before, during or after the game. This includes in-person contact and written or electronic communications, either directly or via a third party.
Shall not take photographs of prospective student-athletes that are visiting USC for an official or unofficial visit.
Shall not solicit information from USC sources, including staff, coaches and current student-athletes, regarding the recruiting of prospective student-athletes.
Shall not arrange, provide or promise to provide any benefits to any current USC student-athlete (or their relatives or friends) or prospective student-athlete (or their relatives or friends), other than as preapproved in connection with a media activity (e.g., radio, TV broadcast/production).
Shall not use a student-athlete to promote or advertise a media program.
Shall not solicit from USC administrators, staff or coaches any information pertaining to the educational and/or medical records of its student-athletes.
Certify that they are not an agent (e.g., sports agent, marketing agent or financial advisor to athletes) or any such agent's employee, representative or affiliate (including "runners").
Agree to abide by all credential use policies, including policies specific to individual sports; failure to do so may result in ejection from the venue and the revocation of future credential privileges.
Football Media Information
Please arrange all player and coach interviews through the Sports Brands & Communications Office, at least a day in advance. Except for those with prior approval, all coach and player interviews are to be conducted on the football practice field immediately after practice. In season, offensive players/coaches will be available post-practice on Tuesdays and defensive/specialist players/coaches on Wednesdays. Coach Riley will be available post-practice on Tuesdays on the field and Thursdays on Zoom. Please do not interview coaches, players and athletic department officials in the lobby or on the patios of Heritage Hall, or at any other locations, unless approved by USC. Per NCAA rules, current athletes cannot record promotional taglines for media outlets. Coach Riley will give an updated injury report at each media session, but he and his players will not address injury issues beyond that.
Because of space limitations, only members of the media who cover USC on a regular basis (plus media accompanying the visiting team and national college football media) will be considered for credentials to Trojan home games. Media credentials for USC home games will be available on game days at the Coliseum media gate (located at Gate 14 on the west side of the Coliseum) 3 hours before kickoff. Credentials are issued on a game-by-game basis. Parking passes can be mailed in advance. Credentials must be requested online and requests must be received by noon two days prior to each game. The online credential request form also covers NCAA compliance, personal comportment and inherent on-field safety risks. Credentials are non-transferrable. A valid ID that matches the submitted name must be shown and credentials must be picked up in person. Four types of credentials are issued: Media Press Box (press box seat during game, field access during last 5 minutes of game), plus Media Field, Broadcast and Photo (all 3 provide field access if wearing USC-provided wristband and/or vest, plus limited press box access with no seat). All credentials provide post-game interview room access. Television cameramen and still photographers are not allowed on the sidelines between the 25-yard lines in the team bench area.
Located on the south (Martin Luther King Blvd.) side of the Coliseum, the press box is for the use of the working media and guests of USC’s athletic department only. Access is via the elevators near Tunnel 6; proceed to Level 6 once in the elevator. There are seats for the working media to the west section of the press box, while the radio and television broadcasting booths are in the middle and east section. To get from the press box to the field at the end of the game, media can exit via the elevator or take the press box stairs to the concourse level and then proceed through the stands.
A complimentary meal is served in the press box. Game programs, flip cards and game notes are distributed before kickoff (flip cards are also available on the field to photographers). Quarterly play-by-plays, plus halftime and final statistics, are distributed, as are transcribed post-game locker room quotes from Coach Riley and the visiting coach. Game action is shown on indoor TV monitors posted throughout the press box. A detailed play-by-play and Coach Riley’s post-game press conference are broadcast over the press box P.A. system. USC provides complimentary wireless internet access in the press box and field photo work area. To order wireless or phone service, contact a Coliseum IT technician at (213) 765-6353. To call the press box on game day, dial (213) 741-1341.
Media with credentials who are permitted on the field during the game (generally TV camera operators and still photographers) must remain outside the dotted line that encircles the field. A special “photo alley” has been drawn between the end zones and 25- yard lines on both sides of the field and behind both end zones; photographers only are permitted inside this “alley” if they kneel. Photographers who choose not to kneel must stand behind the alley, along with all others on the field, including USC guests. Media should refrain from conducting post-game USC player/coach interviews on the field before the team enters the locker room, unless approved by a member of the USC Sports Brands & Communications Office. No one under the age of 18 except team personnel is allowed on the field at any time.
The USC and visiting team locker rooms are located inside the tunnel at the Coliseum’s west end. USC’s post-game locker room is closed, including to the media, in order to comply with NCAA rules that prohibit impermissible contact with recruits. After a 10-minute “cooling off” period, Coach Riley and several players will go to the postgame interview room. Additional media interviews are available in the tunnel outside the entrance to USC’s lockerroom as coaches and players exit. USC’s sports information staff will work with the media to expedite this process.
Men's Basketball Media Information
Direct all inquiries to Dave Tuttle, Sports Information, USC Heritage Hall Room 103, Los Angeles, California 90089-0601, (213) 740-8480. Media credentials for USC home men’s basketball games will not be mailed in advance. Instead, credentials will be available for pick-up on game days at the Galen Center media entrance (located on the Flower Street side of the arena), generally 2 hours before tipoff. Credentials will be issued on a game-by-game basis (there are no season passes). Credentials must be requested prior to each game (requests will NOT roll over to the following game). Credential requests must be received by noon 2 days prior to each game, so that the USC sports information office can work with USC’s Office of Athletic Compliance to review and approve requests. The online credential request form covers NCAA compliance issues. Credentials are non-transferrable. A valid identification that matches the submitted name must be shown and credentials must be picked up in person. At the Galen Center media entrance, media must sign an acknowledgement of the completed online waiver prior to being issued a credential.
Contact ITS at (213) 821-0687 to order phone service at the Galen Center.
The Galen Center (3400 South Figueroa Street) is located approximately 15 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (adjacent to the USC campus). Directions: take Century Blvd. east to I-405 north; exit to I-10 east (toward Los Angeles) to I-110 South; exit Adams Blvd. and turn right onto Figueroa St.; go one mile and the Galen Center will be on your left. Or take I-405 south to I-105 (toward Norwalk) east to I-110 north (toward Pasadena/Los Angeles) and exit at King Blvd. Media Parking: Media parking is available in Parking Structure 2, next to the Radisson Hotel. The entrance is off Figueroa Street.
“Media Will Call” for Trojan basketball games is located at the southeast entrance of Galen Center, located off Flower Street.
USC’s post-game locker room will be closed, including to the media, in order to comply with NCAA rules that prohibit impermissible contact with recruits. Head coach Eric Musselman and several players will be brought to the post-game interview room. Additional media interviews will be conducted in the area outside the post-game interview room as coaches and players exit the locker room hallway. USC’s sports information staff will work with the media to expedite this process.
Men’s basketball practices at USC will be closed to the public and media unless pre-approved. To ensure that USC and its Office of Athletic Compliance know which individuals are coming into the presence of our players, media wishing to attend a USC men’s basketball practice must complete a one-time online waiver no later than 2 p.m. on Monday of the week of the first planned visit (contact David Tuttle in the Sports Information office for the link) in order to allow the Office of Athletic Compliance time to review and approve requests. Also, once initially approved, media do not need to seek permission to attend subsequent practices, as names will remain on the approved list for the rest of the year. USC will practice at the Galen Center on the main floor or in the practice courts (call the USC sports information office for daily practice schedule updates). The first 15 minutes of practices will be open to local and national media. Media must remain in a designated area of the arena or practice court. USC coaches and players will be available to the media on the court immediately after all practices.
All requests for player interviews should be directed to Dave Tuttle, Assistant Sports Information Director by calling (213) 740-8480 or e-mailing davidtut@usc.edu. Please make your requests at least 48 hours in advance. Media members may interview players after USC’s practice sessions or during a class break if possible. No interviews will be granted on the day of a game or prior to practice and under no circumstances are players available for interviews by calling them in their dorm rooms or apartments. Players are instructed not to grant any telephone or face-to-face interviews unless arrangements are made through the USC Sports Information Office.
All requests for interviews with Eric Musselman and his staff should be directed to Dave Tuttle, Assistant Sports Information Director (213) 740-8480.
All members of the working media will be supplied with a game program, statistics and pregame notes as well as complimentary food service. Final and halftime statistics will be furnished along with a play-by-play. USC will also supply post-game quotes from both head coaches (and players in the event of outstanding individual performances), in addition to post-game notes.
