By Anthony Hanshew, The Herald-Dispatch
At first glance, college football media guides are exactly that, a handy research tool for sports journalists.
Behind the scenes, media guides more and more have become a crossover tool, serving both reporters and potential recruits. High school prospects around the country are provided media guides, showing off the best of a university’s program and community.
Like everything else involving Division I-A football, universities have become competitive in the size and production value of media guides. In order to impress prospects with the "thump factor" (the sound when a media guide lands on a student-athlete’s coffee table), some guides have swelled to more than 400 pages.
Notre Dame’s 2003 media guide totaled 484 pages, and Texas will produce a 480-page media guide this year. Most BCS conference schools produce media guides nearing 300 pages.
The NCAA has taken notice and is working toward leveling the promotional playing field. In the past year, the NCAA has proposed both eliminating media guides and prohibiting universities from giving guides to prospects. Neither proposal passed.
A more moderate proposal is in the works that would limit all sports information departments to a 200-page football media guide.
"As long as the information is in there for the media’s usage and it can inform potential student athletes, I’m all for it," Marshall sports information director Randy Burnside said.
Last year, Marshall produced a 356-page football media guide, continuing a trend toward bigger books. The 2004 guide has been scaled down to 308 pages.
"Everything is still in there that needs to be there," Burnside said. "And it still has some thump to it."
Miami of Ohio’s 2004 media guide totals 196 pages, up from 189 last year. Mid-American Conference media guides hover in the 200-page range.
Like every other aspect of recruiting, money factors into how much volume and flair schools can invest in their guides. Marshall’s 2004 guide, for example, cost $30,000 to produce.
"I think there’s definitely an arms race," Miami SID Mike Harris said. "The Texas’ of the world want to do 400-page books and some schools can’t do that."
Like Marshall, Miami has used its media guide to launch Heisman Trophy campaigns, as well. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was featured on last year’s cover, kicking off his standout junior season.
Previous Marshall guides have featured Randy Moss, Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, with each players’ promotional Website listed.
"Everybody in the country sees your media guide and we send them out to a large number of the national media," Burnside said. "It’s a handy resource and they’re going to see the cover of that book often. Whether you’re Marshall, Arkansas State or Notre Dame, it’s one of the best ways to get a player’s name out there."
This year’s Marshall cover will feature coach Bobby Pruett and several players, promoting a strength in numbers approach to the season. The cover is a painting collage by Ted Watts, a Kansas artist whose work is displayed by numerous universities and the College Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to the numerous media outlets that cover Thundering Herd football, the 2004 guide soon will be reaching the mailboxes of prospects throughout the country. Burnside, along with every other Division I-A football SID, hopes the "thump factor" on a coffee table equals a foot in the door.
Decades ago, universities provided separate guides for the media and recruits. Once the NCAA required a single guide, the line between informational tool and promotional book began to blur.
Harris said he doubts is the 200-page limit proposal will pass, because so many schools already are past that number. In the meantime, prospects can expect a wide array of guides this fall.
Harris and Burnside agree that bigger media guides aren’t necessarily better.
"To me, a media guide should serve as the front porch of your program as far as appearance and content," Burnside said.