DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America is establishing a new Access/Press Relations Committee to oversee press relations with FBS Conferences moving into the 2019 football season.

This is a broad-based effort by the FWAA to improve press relations and accessibility with schools in terms of coach, assistant coach and player availability during the regular season and the off-season.

"We are excited to bring together a talented, experienced, and diverse group of reporters and SIDs to work together to ensure a healthier dialogue between the media and the schools that they cover," said Matt Fortuna, 2019 FWAA President. "Our hope is that this collaborative effort will lead to better opportunities to tell the stories of the subjects that we cover, while giving our members a better platform to highlight good and bad practices when it comes to access."

The FWAA will have two representatives for each of the Power Five Conferences, in which many of the issues arise in terms of accessibility. The Group of Five Conferences/Independents will have three representatives. In addition, there will be nine at-large committee members from different groups affiliated with college football.

The process would be for individual FWAA members to report to the representatives of their conference any issues in their league as brought up by Sports Information Directors or FWAA members. This process will also occur with bowl games. The Committee would attempt to keep a running record of incidents reported to them and try to improve conditions as well as commend outstanding access and conditions.

“In many ways this can also be a learning experience on both sides,” said Steve Richardson, FWAA Executive Director. “We can document thoroughly why a school would or wouldn't be a Super 11 winner simply by comparing a school's list of press availability or polices to the FWAA's list of standards. If there are complaints about media members, these also will be considered by the Committee. It can be a two-way street here.”

The discussions will also extend to game-day: press box conditions, interview area conditions, press parking issues and safety concerns around and in the stadium. The committee could have running dialogues with schools where problems in access occur and coverage conditions are questionable.

This committee will help in the decision making for the FWAA's annual Super 11 Awards, which honor outstanding Sports Information Departments each year. Committee members will be encouraged to interact with Sports Information Directors in their respective conferences during the course of the year.

FWAA ACCESS/PRESS RELATIONS COMMITTEE

• ACC: Gene Wang, Washington Post; Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com
• Big 12: Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; John Hoover, TheFranchiseOK.com
• Big Ten: Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com; Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune
• Pac-12: Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News; Chris Dufresne, TMG
• SEC: Ron Higgins, Rivals; Anthony Dasher, UGASports.com
• Group of Five/Independents: Chris Vannini, The Athletic; Dick Weiss, Blue Star Media; Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal
• At-Large: Edward Aschoff, ESPN.com, FWAA; Matt Fortuna, The Athletic, FWAA; George Schroeder, USA Today, FWAA; Doug Vance, CoSIDA; Shelly Poe, Auburn; Dave Plati, Colorado; Vince Thompson, AFCA; Gine Lehe, CFP; Doug Kelly, FBA

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or call 214-870-6516.