2026 Full Court Press
INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – “Full Court Press,” the 25th annual United States Basketball Writers Association sports writing seminar and scholarship competition, will take place on Friday, April 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with a series of exclusive experiences for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in sports journalism.
The program will begin with a panel discussion at Breakout Room 1 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Students can enter a competition for scholarships up to $500 in honor of the late Larry Donald, the only two-time USBWA president and the founding editor of Basketball Times.
The free event provides students with an opportunity to cover the NCAA Final Four the day before the national semifinals. Students will receive media credentials for the day for access to players and coaches. There will be exclusive press conference access to the four coaches and one player from each Final Four team.
Other events covered by the students will include the USBWA Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Presentation, the Reese’s All-Star Game and the press conferences for the Division II and III national championship games and the NIT championship game.
The panel discussion will involve leading reporters in the industry. Panelists will discuss topics such as the influence of social media, the state of the job market, navigational skills in a 24/7 digital era and survival tactics to deal with increasingly challenging deadlines.
The free seminar is organized by the Sports Capital Journalism Program at IU Indianapolis.
There is limited space available, so early registration is strongly encouraged. A wait list will be created when available spots are taken.