Since 2009, the NFL and other professional sports leagues have regulated the use of social media by professional athletes during game days. These policies forbid athletes from tweeting before, during, or after games until the conclusion of post-game media interviews.
Two weeks ago, Randy Shannon, University of Miami foot-ball coach demanded all players remove their Twitter accounts to avoid distraction. While UM is not the first collegiate team to ban the social media site, Michael Mominey, athletic director at NSU said that NSU athletes are allowed to use Twitter as much as they like.
“The athletic department at NSU will not implement a policy to ban student athletes from using Twitter,” said Mominey. “If a decision is made to implement such a policy, it will be a University’s decision, not the athletic department’s.”
Although NSU does not prohibit athletes from using Twitter, some athletes are in favor of the ban.
“Sometimes it’s right because [athletes] have to be focused on the game,” said Stefano Noce, sophomore communication studies major and NSU soccer player. “What happens inside the locker room should stay inside the locker room.”
When regulations are not in effect, many athletes use Twitter to connect with fans and tweet things that would not appear in traditional media.
Amy Peters, junior dance major, said, “I think the Twitter ban is ridiculous. Athletes are normal people. The media and coaches are just jealous that Twitter gets more attention than they do.”
While some athletes use social media to gain followers and fans, others quickly lose them to social media regulations.
Don’t expect to see victory tweets, game updates, or sweaty photos from your favorite players until after they tackle post-game interviews. For some college athletes, Twitter is suspended until the end of the season.
