This week I spoke with Peter Long, Assistant Athletics Director for Digital Media & Communications at Seton Hall University. We discussed how the men’s basketball team is holding up during this tough season and about the super spring sports season with spring and fall athletics taking place with a jam-packed schedule. Long is the media contact for women’s soccer, baseball, and secondary for men’s basketball.
Jenna Powell: How has the credential process differed for basketball in Walsh and at the Prudential Center?
Peter Long: We opened it up to the media themselves, and a lot of them took this year off to a degree. Senior night which was our last game is where we had the most media. We had a UConn reporter come, and they have a lot of press and media outlets and only one came. This was a situation where the writers didn’t really benefit from being there just because they were so far away from the court. They can get the answers they need to write their stories by working remotely. From a credentialing standpoint, it was just fulfilling the requests that came in, it wasn’t like we had to turn people away so it was fairly easy.
JP: How did the Prudential Center or anywhere we played ensure safety for both teams and staff?
PL: From a media perspective, we each had to fill out a symptom checker before each event. A link would be sent and we filled out a questionnaire before every game. When we got to the event, we would show it to security who then took our temperature to make sure we were being honest and safe. From the team’s perspective, I know administration went above and beyond to make sure everybody is safe. In the Prudential Center, the staff would be cleaning every surface possible so credit to them. For the media, they wanted everyone in one space with every seat six feet apart which made things easier with so few media. Everything was done as safely as possible and with the last game, people were able to get a really good experience out of it.
JP: What was the experience in Prudential like without fans compared to senior night with about 1,700 fans?
PL: The entire year was so strange. We had this droning audience track playing the entire time and it was really bizarre. The kids were so involved in the game but the players got that extra jolt of energy from the crowd, and teams weren’t necessarily dominating from home and I really think that is because of that energy they can get from having tons of people watching. For a player like Bryce Aiken who came to Seton Hall woh wanted to play in front of a packed house every night coming from Harvard, he didn’t get that opportunity unfortunately. But seeing the fan base come out for senior night was really special for them. I think they would have wanted a different result, but that’s just how it goes. We definitely wanted to burn that audio track we used throughout the season so it was a good feeling getting people in the building.
JP: Have you talked to any of the players or staff about [Thursday night’s] first BIG EAST Tournament game? What is the mood after the four-game drought we’ve experienced?
PL: I think the guys are in a really good place. They know what they’re against. This is the first BIG EAST Tournament game we’ve played since 2019 so they are really excited and it’s like a fresh start for them. They know that their backs are against the wall and I think they are going to play really well tonight. It’s in our advantage a little bit to be able to play the same team back-to-back in back-to-back games and they’re in a really good place. No matter what, I think this season was difficult for everyone. Having to go through all of these new protocols and procedures to be able to play and stay healthy was a big sacrifice. That goes for every team across the country, they all had to sacrifice a lot. This season will always be different, it won’t be looked at as a regular season but more as a mulligan year for everyone. The communities that these kids really care about played a big role in it too looking at it from a social justice perspective caused a lot of wear and tear on top of the pandemic. I give the kids a lot of respect for playing through it.
JP: How has fall sports being a part of the spring sport season made your job difficult?
PL: The streaming side of things which takes up a large chunk of my job has been an important aspect. We have to make sure broadcasts are up and running and there are students covering each event. People are watching it, we’re seeing really good numbers from our end of the events that are streamed on shupirates.com. We’re starting to let the parents of students come in, but visiting parents are still not allowed, so those that can’t be there or that generally travel from afar are able to open up the stream and watch it. We are sacrificing things from a broadcasting standpoint to get as many streams up as possible. It’s been a really pleasant surprise to have a lot of people watching but has made my job harder at times as well. I’m glad people are appreciating our work enough to follow along.
JP: Thoughts on the updated attendance policy?
PL: We are constantly reviewing the policies as more people are getting vaccinated and things are progressing through the country. I think our current policy is fantastic, this isn’t just a Seton Hall decision, this is a state decision that we have been given the guidelines for by our Governor. With the guidelines, we then think how we can build off of that and how to keep everybody safe, and being outdoors is definitely a plus. Everyone is still masked and abiding by social distancing at our events. I think we’re playing it really smart and constantly seeing what we can do better and to make the fan experience for both home and visiting fans the best possible.
JP: After a lost season last year, what is the baseball team’s morale like?
PL: The guys are really grateful to be out there again. We literally played one home game in our brand new stadium last year. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony the day before and then it all went away, but they are grateful for every opportunity given to them. They started off the season a little slow, but the double-header against UAlbany we got to see the offense break out which is exactly what happened during their last game last year where we felt like we were turning a corner. That opportunity presents itself again this weekend against Kent State. It’s awesome that it’s safe to play the game and this isn’t such a contact sport, but we feel good for baseball and softball that we can keep the kids safe. It is up to them, they have to stay disciplined and continue to make those sacrifices and the payoff is that you get to play.
JP: In your position, what has been the most difficult thus far through COVID?
PL: Uncertainty, has been the toughest thing. All last fall there was so much uncertainty when it came to the next steps, not knowing if we were going to have a game that week, or even being unsure if the season would take place. Now, we’re moving past that uncertainty and we have all of these sports going on, I think we are doing our best to survive. We’re doing our best for the athletes and their families and promoting their achievements. It’s been extremely challenging, but the payoff at the end of the day is giving the kids a good experience and we are still devoted to that and I think everyone sees that and they are appreciative.
JP: Concerns for the rest of the spring season?
PL: There’s always thoughts in the back of our head that the rug could be pulled out from underneath us, but we put our trust in the protocols that we have in place and in the kids. There’s always moments that something could happen so being flexible has been key during this entire process.