Toughest college programs to cover

In honor of the FWAA delivering its directories last night, I was flipping through and wondering about this.

Thoughts:

1. Penn State - Maybe you get players, maybe you don't this week. You never know. Plus, at a public university, the head coach's salary is a closely guarded secret.

2. Notre Dame - Terrible access. Combative head coach. Private university that reveals absolutely nothing, and doesn't need to, because they'll be covered corner-to-corner regardless.

3. Alabama - They don't call it "Fort Shula" for nothing. And you'll work to death on this beat.

4. Michigan - Boring head coach who becomes flat-out surly after a loss. Player access one day a week, take it or leave it.

5. Temple - Just because you have to watch Temple every week.

 

Interesting list.

Since I cover college hoops, I'd be interested to see peoples' lists in that sport also.

I don't do enough national stuff to know one way or the other, and the team I cover is pretty good with access/info distribution. Certainly better than it was.

 

how about the ones that flat out suck and have worthless SIDs?

 

Potty mouth.

 

I can't remember the whole story, but shouldn't a lawsuit all but take care of any secret surrounding Paterno's salary?

 

The State Blue Book would have their "salary" in it. It doesn't include everything, but I have heard it's pretty close to accurate.

 

Is Penn State's athletic department set up as an independent entity? If it is, then he wouldn't be a state employee.

 

Notre Dame would seem to me to be the toughest to cover. The "U" might be a close second.

 

Doesn't the "U" have open locker rooms and wide open access during the week?

 

I worked at Ann Arbor for awhile and saw the bullshit people had to go through to cover U-M football. No thanks. The other sports are a bit better there, especially hockey.

 

Perhaps, but I was just thinking about all of the stuff that goes along with covering Miami.

 

In interviewing once at Ann Arbor, a great deal of emphasis was put on the difficulties of dealing with Carr's office.

But you might get that in any big NCAA D-i town, I dunno.