By accepting or using a media credential (“Credential”) for access to any game or athletic contest sponsored or hosted by the Southeastern Conference (the “SEC”) or by any one or more of its member institutions (herein an “Event” or the “Events”) each person and entity issued such a Credential (herein referred to, along with the employer of each such person, collectively as a “Bearer”) agrees to the following terms and conditions:

General

Each Bearer must be and hereby represents that he or she is acting on a specific assignment for an accredited media agency and has a legitimate working function in connection with the Event attended. The Credential is not transferable and may be revoked at any time.

The rights and privileges granted to Bearer may be terminated if any term or condition for use of the Credential is breached. The unauthorized use of the Credential subjects the Bearer to ejection from the Event.

While within the Event venue, Bearer shall, at all times, adhere to the policies in place for the Event, abide by and respect access limitations, and accept and follow directions provided by the SEC or the SEC member institution(s) hosting the Event.

Bearer assumes all risks incidental to the performance by the Bearer of Bearer’s services in connection with the Event and assumes all risks incidental to each Event, whether occurring before, during or after the actual playing of the Event, and agrees that the SEC, its member institutions, and their respective agents, employees, directors, officers, student-athletes, coaches, and contractors shall not be liable for bodily injury, property damage or theft losses suffered or incurred by Bearer at the Event.

Bearer understands that sports contests are physical, and that in the normal course of play it is possible for balls, players, or other objects to leave the court, track, course, or field of play and impact spectators. Bearer hereby waives and releases any and all Claims (as defined below) against the SEC and its member institutions arising directly or indirectly from any such injury, including those attributable to their negligence or that of their agents.

In the event that the name or likeness of Bearer is included in any broadcast, telecast, photograph, film, video or other media taken in connection with any Event, Bearer grants the SEC (or, if the media is controlled by a SEC member, grants such SEC member) the nonexclusive, transferable, perpetual right and license to use (and to sub-license the use of) such name and likeness in any media worldwide whether now known or thereafter devised.

Bearer agrees to indemnify and save harmless the SEC, its member institutions, and their respective agents, employees, directors, officers, student-athletes, coaches, and contractors, of and from any and all claims, liabilities, demands and causes of action asserted by persons and entities other than the SEC and its member institutions (jointly “Claims”) arising out of any act or omission, or anything done or purported to  have been done, by Bearer, including but not limited to Claims arising from Bearer’s breach of any term or condition hereof. With respect to any Claim that might give rise to liability of the Bearer as an indemnitor, the indemnified party shall: (a) have the right to fully participate in the litigation of such claim with counsel selected by the indemnified party at the sole expense of the Bearer, and (b) not be obligated, without its consent, to participate in any settlement of such Claim.

SEC Real-Time Internet Policy

By acceptance and use of an SEC media credential, the holder agrees to the following conditions for any and all athletic events hosted by the SEC and its member institutions:

1. The SEC and its member institutions grant a media organization a limited license to use certain gathered information on the media organization’s own Internet or online site beginning at the start of an athletic event and up to the conclusion of such event, all subject to the following limitations and conditions:

(a) No more than 10 still photographs may be used for news coverage of the game and other editorial purposes during the event.

(b)?Video tape may only be shown as part of a single, non-archived, online “simulcast” of a television station’s regularly-scheduled news program.

(c) While a game is in progress, the use of textual statistical information is time-delayed and limited in amount (e.g., updates pertaining to score, injuries and national, conference or institutional record-breaking performances, a condensed half-time story) so that an organization’s Internet or online game coverage does not undercut the authorized and rights-paying fee organization’s rights to play-by-play accounts of the game and/or exclusivity as to such rights.

2. Any proposed media use on an Internet or online sight of the game information that is more detailed and/or more than described above will require separate written authorization by the SEC and/or its member institutions.  However, such written authorization will not permit the use of game information in entertainment contexts and will not authorize game coverage that, due to immediacy or detail, constitutes or approaches a play-by-play account of a game.

3. Should any of these conditions be breached, the SEC and/or its member institutions will issue a written warning for the first violation.  If this violation occurs during the last game of the institutions’ regularly-scheduled season, the media organization may not be credentialed for the SEC Tournament.  A second violation of this policy will result in revocation of credentials to cover future basketball games hosted by the SEC and/or its member institutions.

Related Stories

View all