Attention “Ticketed Fans”: Social media banned from college stadiums in Southeast

sec logoNew Rules for Fans in the Stands.

In my morning reading I read this unbelievable article on Mashable’s website, “Social Media Banned from College Stadiums.” Being an advocate of social media and an avid sports fan, this really got my attention. I was taken back to learn that it was our own South Eastern Conference that was making this stupid mistake. They happen to be headquartered here in Birmingham.

The SEC, is one of college sports’ biggest and most prominent conferences in the nation, earlier this month sent to its 12 schools an eye-opening new media policy. 

“Earlier this month, the conference informed its schools of the new policy, which reads: “Ticketed fans can’t “produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.”

Translated, that means no TwitterTwitterFacebookFacebookYouTubeYouTubeTwitPicTwitpic, or any other service that could in any way compete with authorized media coverage of the event. In the case of the SEC, authorized media coverage rights belong to CBS, who has a $3 billion deal with the conference over the next 15 years according to The St Petersburg Times.”

It is evident that the South Eastern Conference doesn’t get social media. Another example of the paranoia and dangers associated with social media. Instead of a policy that would utilize social media’s benefits, they are being over reactive to its supposed dangers.

For my fellow University of Alabama fans, that photo you uploaded to Flickr of  Big Al could now be considered illegal!

07bigal

University of Alabama Mascot Big Al

“The SEC’s greatest supporters are now also the SEC’s biggest competitors.”
Michael Kruse, Times Staff Writer

Let your opinion be heard: @SECSportsUpdate

Updates:

SEC revises media policy after strong reaction to original plan

@SECSportsUpdate Rev SEC Ticket Policy in place. Twitter fans, please share the great times you have at our stadiums with your friends.

If interested you may download the revised SEC Ticket Policy

JOXFM.COM: Discussion of the SEC’s new media policy and social media on the morning program “Opening Drive”

 

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About Michael Gass

Consultant | Trainer | Author | Speaker

Since 2007, he has been pioneering the use of social media, inbound and content marketing strategies specifically for agency new business.

He is the founder of Fuel Lines Business Development, LLC, a firm which provides business development training and consulting services to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.

Comments

  1. Glad the Big Ten isn’t holding anyone to this! Penn State just launched their new gopsf.com site that is very social media friendly (4 Facebook pages, coaches on twitter, youtube favorites, etc.)

  2. Jim:

    Thanks for this link. I am passing it on to our college sports and Nike clients. A great social media aggregation site. Proves Paterno isn’t as lame as the southern boys.

  3. This seems pretty stupid since the games are live and people will be tweeting live, don’t think it will affect the outcome. Additionally, isn’t this a violation of First Amendment rights? Maybe I’m missing something here.

  4. Really no different from calling someone while at the game and telling them what is going on no?
    seems stupid and shows that they really are out of the loop

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