Pac-12 will reportedly add enhanced access with interviews, on-field mics this season
The Pac-12 will upgrade its broadcasts this football season to include enhanced in-game and pre-game access.
Heather Dinich of ESPN reported that the enhancements will include in-game head coach interviews and select head coaches and players will wear mics during pre-game activities. The Pac-12 is the only FBS league doing this across college football.
The conference will also allow for cameras in the coaches’ booth without sound, extended handheld camera permission, and pregame and halftime locker room camera access. The additional content will be implemented throughout Pac-12 games on ESPN, FOX Sports and Pac-12 Networks.
Pac-12 officials have noted that playcallers like Chip Kelly at UCLA and Lincoln Riley at USC are some of the examples of how the new access will show an inside look previously not seen. However, they’re still working on availability at certain times during a game.
“I’m sure they’ll have some key games that they really want to press on,” said Merton Hanks, the Pac-12’s executive associate commissioner of football operations, “but when you’ve got personalities like Deion Sanders in your league, you probably want to put a mic on him, right? I’m sure they’ll choose certain games to really highlight certain aspects and see how it resonates with the fan base.”