• 2015 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
By Dan Surdam, SUNY Cortland Associate Sports Information Director
The group sat around a large mahogany table anticipating his arrival. The only sounds were hushed whispers and drumming of fingertips on the dark wood. No one dared talk business before he showed. It wasn’t proper. It wasn’t respectful. He was the unquestioned head guy and ran the show. It was a clear, unspoken understanding among those in the room. One of the youngest members of the group chanced a glance at his watch and was quickly chastised with a look of scorn from one of the senior members that silently said, “If he’s late, he’s late. Don’t question it.”
At that moment, the door swung open, and he hustled in carrying his signature black binder brimming with trade-secret information gleaned through the years. Everyone stared until he broke the silence. Armed with a wide smile, he said, “Come on, fellas, it’s like a morgue in here. Did Cortland win the Commissioner’s Cup again?”
And with that, the room relaxed. Fran Elia, the godfather of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), had made his arrival. Since 1992, Elia has built upon his legacy as a go-to guy in the industry, and so it is fitting that he receive the 2015 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Warren Berg Award.
Elia humbly deflects the notoriety, claiming that the nominee pool must have been a very shallow one. Past accolades and current sentiment refute that thinking clearly pointing out that Elia swims with the big fishes. There are reasons Elia received the Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award in 2009 and induction into Cortland’s C-Club Hall of Fame as an honorary member in 2012.
He epitomizes the standards by which those awards are based. The same holds true for the Warren Berg Award, which is presented annually to a CoSIDA college division member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information, and by who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
Peter Koryzno, long-time Cortland sports information director and director of public relations, is the man who brought Elia on board more than 20 years ago. As
someone who served for more than a decade on the CoSIDA Special Awards Committee, he’s had the privilege of voting for many legends in the sports information profession.
“Fran has the personality and compassion of Bob Kenworthy,” Koryzno noted. “He possesses the unbridled passion for NCAA Division III athletics, demonstrated in decades of contests and championships by Dave Wrath, Larry Happel and Kennan Timm.
“The dean of SUNYAC SIDs, Fran’s role as an Empire State leader, mentor and trusted colleague ranks alongside the likes of his award-winning peers Pete Moore, Wally Johnson, J. Roger Dykes and Dennis O’Donnell.”
Elia’s influence has spread throughout his sports information family. His phone rings often as peers seek out his advice, whether the knowledge sought after clarifies a particularly difficult statistical situation or offers insight into the larger scope of the profession and the challenges associated with the job. It’s not uncommon for Elia to spend lengthy sessions on calls, imparting his wisdom or delving into memories from past contests. More than 20 years in the business will present plenty of those opportunities.
“I remember walking into Fran’s office for the first time when I was a freshman at Cortland,” recalls current Geneseo SID and 1997 Cortland graduate Tim Volkmann. “The sports editor at the student newspaper had just gotten let go, and I got bumped up to be her replacement. Fran gave me a huge pile of releases and information that I basically copied and pasted into that week’s issue, and the editor gushed about how great a job I did.
“That is what Fran has done for countless student-athletes, interns, reporters and fellow SIDs through the years – make them look good without taking a shred of credit. No matter where I was working during my career, I knew I could always count on Fran to not only answer the phone, but give me exactly what I was looking for and make me look good once again.”
Elia may not look to take credit, but there’s no question that he has handled the “information” side of sports information with commitment and accuracy second to none.
While others in the business have begun to skew their responsibilities more greatly in the areas of video coverage and social media interaction, Elia continues to hold true to his old-school roots and treat the statistical and release side of the business with the same respect as his first year in the business. But, like any accomplished veteran who stays at the top of his or her game, Elia has also embraced the modern twists that have infiltrated the trade without losing the personal touch. It’s a tough act to balance.
Geoff Hassard, long-time SID at SUNY Oneonta, says, “Fran has meant so much to so many of us. His willingness to go beyond the ‘normal’ duties is a testament to his passion for this profession. He is a mentor, role model and, more importantly, a friend. Fran will always take the time to listen.”
And Elia has listened. He listened to his heart when he escaped from the accounting world and began his long journey in the realm of sports information those many years ago.
“Throughout my career I’ve been honored to work with great people at Cortland, the SUNYAC and Division III as a whole,” Elia said. “One of the things that drew me to this profession was the quality of the people and that hasn’t changed despite the changes in our job-scope duties.
“I think back to all of the veteran SIDs who welcomed me into the business in the early 1990s and am grateful for their support and friendships. In that light, I hope I’ve been able to mentor and be a friend to all of the tremendous people who’ve entered sports information in the years since.”
So, if you’re looking for an offer you can’t refuse, give Elia a call sometime and he’ll be sure to share his wisdom on you. And remember, if a game ends on an 8-2-4-5-3-1 putout at third base, you know he has it covered like red clam sauce on linguine. He is, after all, the godfather of SUNYAC SIDs and the latest Warren Berg Award recipient.