Kevin Ruple, who has served as the Sports Information Director at Baldwin-Wallace College since 1983, will be inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at the organization’s annual workshop to be held in Tampa, Fla.
This is the second major CoSIDA award for Ruple, who began his career as an intern at the College of Wooster, his alma mater, in 1982. The veteran public relations professional received the organization’s Warren Berg Award in 2004. The Warren Berg Award is given annually to a college-division member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college sports information, and who, by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
In addition to his duties as a SID, Ruple has also served as a teacher and mentor for those interested in the sports information field. To date, 18 of his former student workers have become SIDs at schools from the Divison III level to Division I such as the University of Texas, Arizona State, Arkansas and Nebraska, or in other areas in collegiate and professional athletics.
Ruple has been extremely active within CoSIDA. A past member of the CoSIDA Board of Directors (1997-99), Ruple has served on the prestigious Academic All-America Committee since 1996. Prior to that, he was a member of the organization’s job services and publications committees.
Active in intercollegiate athletics, Ruple has been on the Pizza Hut/Division III All-America Committee. He has served for eight years as the national chair of the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Team, including two other years as the North Region chair. He has also served as president of the Ohio Athletic Conference Public Relations Task Force three times during his career.
Not only has he been part of numerous committees at the collegiate level, Ruple has also played an important role in his community and at the high school level. He has assisted with a number of area high school championships for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) and has been the venue chief for the AAU National Junior Olympics Track Championships. Ruple has also assisted with the Ohio Sports Festival and Ohio Games for 10 years.
Ruple will be one of three sports information professionals to be inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame at the Tampa Workshop. The remaining two inductees of the Class of 2008 will be announced at a later date.
View entire list of CoSIDA Hall of Fame Inductees