The Office of Communications and Marketing is located in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. All efforts will be made to accommodate the interests of those wishing to cover Hawk Athletics. Do not contact coaches or student athletes directly.

 

Media Credentials
Request credentials for any University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics home contest by contacting Associate AD of External Affairs - Nick Novy (nknovy@umes.edu) - and - Assistant AD of Communications & Operations - Scott Fields (sefields@umes.edu). Requests must be sent no later than 24 hours prior to the start time of a UMES athletic event.

Credentials are issued to members of the working press on assignment. Coaches and support staff reserve the right to deny entry to any athletic event if proper credentials are not shown. Credentials are granted based on the following criteria:

• Priority is given to outlets based on circulation size
• Space availability
• Additional consideration is based on amount of original content generated, number of full-time employees of the outlet, length of existence of the outlet and the journalist experience of the reporter(s)
• Attendance at UMES media sessions, including Olympic sport opportunities and the intention/ability to cover all sports at UMES
• Professionalism - which includes but not limited to conduct at games, press conferences, practices, on social media, etc.

Being granted credentials at another institution/event does not equate to meeting the criteria for UMES athletic events. Being granted credentials for one UMES athletic event does not guarantee approval for other UMES events. UMES has the right to deny or revoke credentials under its own discretion. 

Outlets must be in compliance with the NCAA, MEAC, NEC and UMES Athletics media policies.

Photo Credentials
Photographers of any kind (professional or amateur) must request photo passes prior to the event.

Credentials must be displayed when entering the facility and while shooting from anywhere besides spectator seating.

Request credentials by contacting Associate AD of External Affairs - Nick Novy (nknovy@umes.edu).


Photography/Image Requests
Media in need of specific photo assets may contact Associate AD of External Affairs - Nick Novy (nknovy@umes.edu). to make a request.

UMES can provide high resolution images to recognized media outlets for news purposes upon request, and members of the office are available to help arrange photos.


Interview Requests
All interviews with coaches, student-athletes or staff must be coordinated through the UMES Marketing and Communications Office.

Interview requests can be made by contacting Associate AD of External Affairs - Nick Novy (410-651-8150 or nknovy@umes.edu). UMES will not release cell phone numbers of coaches or student-athletes to anyone other than a pre-approved interviewer.

Following games, there is a mandatory 10-minute 'cooling off' period, during which no coach or student-athlete may be interviewed. After the cooling off period, student-athletes and coaches will be made available. UMES has a closed locker room policy. Under no circumstance should players or coaches be interviewed during pre-game or in-game without pre-approval from the Associate AD of External Affairs.


Post-Game Interview Locations
For all events taking place in Hytche Athletic Center (volleyball; track & field, basketball), post-game interviews will take place outside of a locker room or in the designated press room. Under no circumstance will interviews be conducted inside a locker room.


Access to Practice
All University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletic practices are closed to the public. Coaches and staff reserve the right to deny any individual access to practice. Media members wishing to conduct interviews, record or photograph before, during or after practice must seek prior approval and have a credential issued by UMES athletics. All approved media presence will be communicated to the coaching staff and players.  Failure to comply will result in removal from facility and/or forfeiture of media credentials.
 

Visiting Media/Sports Information
We do ask that you inform us if you will be bringing radio for any athletic event. For all events located in the Hytche Athletic Center, UMES will have at least one designated seat at the scorer's table for a communications staff member from the visiting school. Access to plugs and internet will be provided. Other venues may have limited access to electricity and energy.


Support Staff
It is important to send an accurate list of all individuals on the media support staff who will be assisting your media outlet throughout the event. All support staff should be identifiable with a credential. Family members and friends of media are not permitted to sit in designated media seating.


Denying Requests and Revoking Media Credentials
UMES will review all media requests and reserves the right to deny credential requests. If any media policies are violated, the violating media outlet's credentials will be revoked for future athletic events. The media outlet may inquire about renewing credentials after 12 months have passed since the violation occurred.
 

Media Services


Home Game Coverage
During home contests for volleyball and basketball, UMES provides live statistics along with audio and video coverage. During volleyball and basketball games, hard copy in-game statistics are available. Please alert the staff that you will require hard copy statistics when requesting credentials. Statistics are posted online immediately following each home event and as soon as possible following away events.


Live Video
We provide live video of all home volleyball and basketball games. Links can be found on the team's schedule section on UMESHawkSports.com.


Live Stats
We provide live stats of all home UMES baseball, softball, volleyball and basketball games. Links can be found on team's schedule section of our website.


Game Notes
Due to demand, game notes are provided for select basketball games and volleyball matches. Notes are generally not compiled for any other sports. When notes are available, hard copies will be provided at least an hour before the start of home events.


Athletics Website Information
It is our priority to update scores on our website first. Any changes to our roster, schedule, quick facts, and player bio's will come first on the website. Our goal is to provide the scores on the website within an hour of the conclusion of any game whether it's home or away in all our sports. When possible, we will post the results and game recaps of the first game of a double header between games.  


Pregame Information Exchange
We will send updated rosters to your SID no later than 48 hours prior to start of any contest.

Please notify your SID to respond with requested information so that we may efficiently work to provide the best coverage possible.

We will also check your website for information if we do not receive an e-mail response.


Guest Pass List
All pass lists for visiting teams should be sent no later than 48 hours in advance of a game day. Please send all requests to Quality Control Coordinator Jathan DeBerry - jldeberry@umes.edu.


Wi-Fi Available For Media Use
Wi-Fi will be available for any member of the working media (including SIDs). A UMES representative will provide the password. Team members and the general public will not be permitted to use secured Wi-Fi during games. Hard lines are available on a limited basis.


Press Box, Score Table and Team Area Access 
All individuals in these areas must be a working member of the media or be able to display proper media/staff credentials. Individuals causing disturbances in these areas will be removed. Please direct all questions and concerns to nknovy@umes.edu.