Editorial: Camera ban at Aggie games is unfair, unjustified

By Seth R. Hawkins

October 6, 2008 | USU athletes and local Princess Diana types can rest safe knowing the USU Athletics Department is doing its part to prevent the lethal force of Cache Valley paparazzi.

That's right, thanks to the so-called "professional photography ban," there will be no more scandalous pictures of wide receivers grabbing a pass in the end zone. No more embarrassing tabloid pictures of forwards on the soccer team kicking a goal or armpit shots of volleyball players going up for a kill. And you can kiss goodbye any night shots of Romney Stadium.

Yes, life without cameras at USU sporting events will benefit everyone. The absence of distracting flashes around the football stadium will likely result in increased touchdown production, earning the Aggies their first bowl game in recent memory.

In reality, the pro photography ban will likely result in reduced public exposure for USU and its athletics programs and the alienation of some of its most loyal supporters. In short, it is a public relations disaster perpetuated by the Athletics Department public relations department. Ouch.

Because of this ban, doting mothers cannot use the expensive SLR digital cameras they bought specifically to take pictures of their child playing a sport in Aggie uniform. Devoted fans cannot use zoom lenses to take high-resolution pictures to post on a blog or fan site to boast their love for their school.

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. By prohibiting harmless pictures, the Athletics Department is denying themselves free and widespread publicity ­ something most companies pay public relations agencies thousands to millions of dollars a year to generate. Not only is this bad PR, it is poor economics for a school that struggles to finance its athletics programs.

If it's such bad PR, why do it?

Citing an obscure ­ and, dare we say it, misinterpreted ­ passage in the NCAA Division I manual, the Athletics Department claims that unauthorized photos of student athletes could result in a loss of eligibility. What a deadly threat, since athletes are constantly being kicked off teams because of photographers. If the Athletics Department is really worried about eligibility compliance, it should be much more concerned about marijuana use and other illicit activities that regularly eliminate player eligibility.

The NCAA rules only prohibit the use of a student athlete's name or picture from being used on commercial items or to promote a commercial product sold by a group without the student athlete's permission. The rules also state this does not prohibit a private photographer or news agency from selling pictures of student athletes for private use.

According to the NCAA guidelines, there is no reason to prohibit professional photography equipment from athletic events. It isn't breaking any rules to take a picture from the stands and later post it on a Web site for sale or to simply have an album of pictures for parents of student athletes.

The USU Athletics Department has more than overstepped their bounds on this issue and refuses to admit to any wrongdoing. In the long run, it will probably do little more than enrage an already tepid fan base, but it's never smart to practice poor PR.

Honestly, most people who bring professional camera equipment to sporting events and shoot from the stands don't know how to use those cameras beyond the basic click and shoot functions. They just want to look impressive. So, there's no real threat there.

Also, technological improvements in standard digital "point and click" cameras have made these tools just as effective as the SLR the amateur photographer brings to a game, so prohibiting an SLR while allowing other cameras is an unfounded bias.

The USU Athletics Department needs to step off its high horse and concede this is a pointless regulation. We call for a complete retraction of the ban. Allowing photographers to shoot from the stands does nothing to harm student athletes, while prohibiting photography only serves to injure the reputation of the institution. It's time to stop preventing fans from being fans and to let the people shoot.

NW
MS