College Sports Information Directors of America

Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to individuals who have served at least 25 years in the athletics communications profession (as of July 2026) who are retiring or leaving the profession. Years of service vetted by the Special Awards Committee. Members may self-nominate for this award.

Steve Rourke — University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Associate Director of Athletic Communications (retired)
 

“My career in sports information started when Marv Homan welcomed me as a grad assistant in the office at The Ohio State University many moons ago and concluded with a run of 41 years at UCLA. It was a journey beyond my wildest dreams. I always looked at the job as working to help others grow on a daily basis while trying to keep a smile on my face. I had the honor of carrying out that assignment in the midst of the some of the best coaches, people and athletes ever to walk the earth — John Wooden, Billie Moore, Terry Donahue, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Troy Aikman — and most importantly work with Hall of Fame caliber SIDs like Vic Kelley, Marc Dellins, Tim Tessalone, Chris Dawson and Liza David —- not to mention countless all-star media members. A sincere thank you to all who have been there for me over the years while on this trek which took me all around the country. It is the people and the quality of those individuals who have made this so special for me and hopefully for all CSC members.” — Steve Rourke, 2026 CSC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

Steve Rourke has enjoyed a 50-year run as a collegiate athlete, coach and college athletics administrator. He embarked on his journey as a member of the University of Virginia baseball team (1975-79) where he also assisted in the development of the Cavalier media guide. 

After graduation from UVA, Rourke officially began his sports information career as a graduate assistant in the SID office at the Ohio State University from 1979-80. There he learned the finer points of the job under Marv Homan, Steve Snapp and D.C. Koehl as the Buckeyes went on to play in the Rose Bowl. Rourke then headed west to the University of San Francisco, working as a sports information assistant and women's softball coach. He completed a three-year tour in the Bay Area as the information director of the NorPac Conference. 

In the summer of 1984, Rourke moved on to take a position in the sports information office at UCLA where he initially worked with all the women's sports and then added stints with men's basketball, football and men's volleyball over a span of 41 years. During that run, he served as one of the host media coordinators for the NCAA Women's Final Four in 1984 and 1992, the Venue Press Chief for the 1984 Olympic Games tennis competition, served as one of the radio voices of UCLA women's basketball and was a working participant in over 50 NCAA regional or national championship events. 

Rourke had a front row seat to five top-10 Heisman Trophy finishes, Hall of Fame athlete performances, a No. 1 football national ranking, Rose Bowl wins, as well as the joy of mentoring Lombardi, Outland, Hendricks, Unitas, Butkus, Mackey, Groza and Lott Trophy award winners. Bruin teams he worked with captured multiple NCAA championships in a variety of sports and dozens of athletes were recognized as All-Americans. 

He also served on the CoSIDA (CSC) Academic All-America Committee for 12 of those years and was presented the 1999 Lester Jordan Award for exemplary service to the Academic All-America® program. Rourke earned numerous CSC publication awards during his career and was honored with a CSC 25-year Award in 2007. He retired from the profession in 2025.
 

Marc Dellins, UCLA Assoc. AD - Communications (retired), 2023 CSC Hall of Fame Inductee: “I worked in an adjoining office to Steve for close to 30 years and as a tandem on football for two decades. His assistance and counsel were invaluable to me as the head SID and to all of the teammates in our office. Steve also worked a variety of sports, providing those coaches and student-athletes outstanding service. Steve is extremely deserving of this prestigious honor from CSC.”

Liza David, UCLA Senior Associate Athletics Director, 2026 CSC Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award recipient: “I learned so much from Steve over my career, especially when I was first starting out. He mentored so many of us in the UCLA SID office, including myself, and I can definitely say that I would not be where I am today without Steve’s wisdom, guidance and friendship. He showed me the ropes as we worked together as co-SIDs for women’s basketball and set such a great example in collaboration, teamwork and communication. We shared some great memories, from an Elite Eight run to cutting down the nets in the Pac-10 Tournament. All of us were ecstatic when Steve got to end his career with a NCAA Championship in men’s volleyball – the first time he had seen in person one of his teams win a championship in his 40+ years. What a way to go out!”

Yogi Roth, Big Ten Network: “I met Steve almost 20 years ago, and even before meeting him, it was clear that his reputation was that of a man of integrity, expertise, and deep passion for UCLA Athletics. After spending an hour with him at practice one day, what became equally clear was his humility and selflessness. Nearly two decades later, after dozens of practices, production meetings, and quiet conversations, I keep coming back to the man Steve is. His career is a reminder that we may come for the games, but what we remember are the relationships. And I can say with supreme confidence that when anyone is asked about Steve Rourke, the first thing they’ll share is that he is a man of integrity who values deep relationships and approached each day knowing his “job” was a playground for joy, teamwork, and friendship. And let us not forget that Steve knew ball! His analysis & predictability was more often than not spot on! A true pro and an incredible man whom I am honored to call a friend."

Tim Tessalone, USC Sports Information Director (retired), 2016 CSC Hall of Fame Inductee: “I had the great fortune to work with Steve Rourke for much of his career in the sports information industry, even though we were crosstown rivals (he was at UCLA and I was at USC). We both handled the same sports, football and men’s volleyball, so our paths crossed frequently. Steve was a pleasure to work with, extremely professional, helpful and knowledgeable. He performed his job incredibly well at one of the nation’s premier athletic programs in the nation’s second-largest media market. He was highly regarded by both the media and his peers. Steve also happens to live in the same city as I do, and now that we are retired, we continue to cross paths in town. We not only enjoy reminiscing about our time as SIDs, but we share observations about the current state of the profession. Steve is a good man and a credit to the sports communications field.”