BOSTON, Mass.- Jack Grinold, Northeastern University’s Associate Athletics Director for Communications, will receive the 2009 Eastern College Athletics Conference (ECAC) Commissioner’s Award, as announced by ECAC commissioner Rudy Keeling.
Grinold has coordinated Northeastern sports information duties since 1962 and is a CoSIDA Hall of Famer, noted athletic historian and committed to philanthrophic support. He will be presented with the award at the 2009 ECAC Honors Luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 6 presented by Jostens. The luncheon will be held at The Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis, Mass., during the 2009 ECAC Fall Convention and Trade Show.
Established in 2008, the ECAC Commissioner’s Award is presented for meritorious service to the ECAC or an ECAC member institution. The recipient must have demonstrated significant accomplishment in his or her chosen professional field or on the athletic field.
As the dean of New England SIDs, Grinold has been the innovator and prime mover in the field of sports publicity. Grinold has been the sports information director at Northeastern for 47 years, and has been associate AD for over 20 years. From ballgames to banquets, Grinold’s style is and always has been to work directly behind the scenes.
Grinold has been recognized several times by CoSIDA. He was inducted to the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 1999 received the Community Service Award.
University publications such as game programs and athletic media guides from A to Z have reflected his energy and journalistic ability, as well. Grinold is the recipient of over 25 CoSIDA "Citations of Excellence" for various University brochures.
In 2003, he was inducted to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first recipient of the New England Information Publicity Plus Award in 1971, and earned the ECAC Service Bureau Award in 1979.
Grinold was inducted into Northeastern’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985 for his contributions to the
athletic program within both the field of sports information and administration. With his induction, Grinold became the first non-athlete or coach to be inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame.
Long-time offices held include: Secretary of the New England Writers Association since 1964; Chairman of the New England Writers Association Football and Hockey banquets since 1964; and executive director and former president of the Eastern Mass. Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, now known as the Jack Grinold Chapter. He served as Chairman of COSIDA’s Committee on Committees.
Grinold attended 464 consecutive Northeastern football games, home and away, from 1962-2007.
For more information, visit
GoNU.com, the official athletics website of Northeastern University.