Sacred Heart University is an NCAA Division I school with membership in 13 different conferences. The Pioneers are covered by local and national media outlets, while media members regularly interact with SHUÂ coaches and student-athletes. The SHU Athletic Communications Office works closely with its coaches and athletes to facilitate these requests in a timely fashion while providing an array of media services.
Those services include but are not limited to providing previews and game recaps for each of our 33Â Division I varsity programs, compiling and providing statistics, producing game programs for home events, generating game notes for select sports, and coordinating press conferences and interview requests.
This office also creates and manages the content of the official athletics website www.SacredHeartPioneers.com, which requires contstant updating of news, notes, player and coach bios, statistics and history, as well as up-to-date links to in-game live stats, video and audio feeds and photo galleries. The SHU Athletic Communications Office also supports multiple social media outlets, providing real-time coverage, Pioneer news flashes and more.
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Location: William H. Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center, suite 103, the second door on the left in the main lobby.
Website: Â www.SacredHeartPioneers.com
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Staff:Â Â Â Â Â Â
Samantha Carey, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Primary contact for football, men's/women's wrestling, women's lacrosse)
Office:Â (203) 365-4464
Email: careys3@sacredheart.edu
Bridget Delaney, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Primary contact for men's basketball, men's lacrosse, rugby, rowing)
Office: (203) 365-4813
Email: delaneyb2@sacredheart.edu
Josh Smith, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Primary contact for women's volleyball, women's basketball, softball, bowling, men's/women's golf)
Office: (203) 365-4464
Email: smithj28@sacredheart.edu
Joseph Verrillo, Graduate Assistant for Athletic Communications
(Primary contact for women's soccer, women's ice hockey, cross country, and indoor/outdoor track and field)
Email:Â verrilloj2@mail.sacredheart.edu
Nikolas Lassonde, Graduate Assistant for Athletic Communications
(Primary contact for men's soccer, men's volleyball, men's/women's tennis, women's swim & dive)
Email:Â lassonden@mail.sacredheart.edu
Aaron Such, Assistant Director of Production
(Broadcasts)
Email: sucha@sacredheart.edu
Shannon Torres, Assistant Director of Production
(Video Content)
Email: torress31@sacredheart.edu
Daniel Raath, Video Production Graduate Assistant
Email: raathd@mail.sacredheart.edu
Policies & Procedures:
Accessing Publicity Photos / Logos / Video
Media members wishing to obtain photos and logos for SHU Athletics should contact the Athletics Communications director of the sport. Special photo galleries for media access are available following many events.
SHU Athletics Communications can provide highlight footage of most games upon request from media.  Contact Shannon Torres torress31@sacredheart.edu for assistance.
Credential Requests and Criteria
The decision to issue credentials to a media outlet for the purposes of covering a SHU athletics event is determined by a variety of factors:
- Priority is given to outlets based on circulation size / household reach / unique site visitors (see below)
- 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)
- Professionalism, which includes but is 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 Sacred Heart University. Being granted credentials for one SHU event does not guarantee approval for other SHU events.
Sacred Heart University has the right to deny or revoke credentials under its own discretion. Credentialing also is dependent on space availability.
Outlets must be in compliance with NCAA, member conferences and SHU Athletics media policies.
Coach & Student-Athlete Interviews
All interview requests for members of the Sacred Heart University athletics staff or its student-athletes must be made through the Athletic Communications office. Contact information is provided above. Please allow 24 hours for response to each request, though the Athletic Communications office handles each inquiry as quickly as possible. All forms of media should also provide 48 hours of advanced notice when possible for all interview requests to allow the sports information staff to arrange a time that will respect each student-athlete's academic and competition schedules. At no time will the home or cell phone number of a student-athlete be released to the media, and we ask all media outlets to respect this policy and the privacy of our athletes and coaches. In the case of telephone interview requests, the Athletic Communication staff will arrange for the student-athlete to contact the requesting media member.
Post-game Interviews
Sacred Heart University locker rooms are closed to the media. A 10-minute cooling off period will be strictly enforced, after which the SHU head coach and any requested players will be made available. Post-game interviews will be conducted outside each team's respective locker room unless otherwise designated. For all men's and women's basketball and football games, a post-game press conference will be held in the theater on the lower level of the William H. Pitt Center. Requests for visiting coaches and players should be made through the opponent's sports information contact, and all requests should be made prior to the conclusion of the game.
Press Box & Sideline Access
Only credentialed members of the media, coaches, league officials and designated administrators will be allowed in the press box area. Sacred Heart adheres to a strict conduct policy, and cheering in the press area, press box or on the sideline is expressly prohibited. Photographers who wish to shoot from the sideline must request field access and must have the appropriate clearance to be permitted inside the area of competition. Photographers are required to comply with all NCAA, Northeast Conference, and Sacred Heart University polices for shooting locations. A failure to comply will result in confiscation of credentials.
Press Row Services
The Sacred Heart Athletic Communications Office will provide a game program, statistics and game notes prior to each contest. A full box score, play-by-play, and other applicable game material will be distributed at halftime and at the end of the game.
Radio & Television
Radio and television stations wishing to broadcast Sacred Heart University home events must make arrangements with the Athletic Communications office at least two weeks prior to the requested contest. Telephone lines and power access can be supplied by the University, provided the requested notice is given. We request that radio stations call into the provided phone line or that all calls be made either on a collect or calling card basis.
