With his upcoming induction to the CSC Hall of Fame,
Sam Atkinson adds to his impressive award and leadership legacy within college athletics.
The Associate Athletic Director for Communications at Gallaudet University, Atkinson is in his 16th year of service at Gallaudet, the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. He was promoted to his current role in April 2017 after serving as assistant AD and sports information director. He began his career as Salisbury University’s sports information director, serving for three years.
Appointed to the CSC Board of Directors in June 2015 for a three-year term, he was elected as CSC's Third Vice President in June 2017 and became the organization's President in 2020-21. Atkinson became the second Division III member to become President in the 65-year history of CSC/CoSIDA.
Atkinson’s prior CSC honors include the 2014 Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award, 2020 Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award, 2022 President’s Award (for his service on the Executive Board of Directors), and the 2023 Warren Berg Award for outstanding commitment and contributions in the college division. Twice, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has recognized Atkinson and his staff with regional Grant Berger Media Awards for outstanding promotion of the sport.
On the NCAA national scene, Atkinson has been an integral part of two Division III championship programs - men’s basketball and women’s volleyball. Named to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Committee in July 2016 to serve a four-year term, Atkinson was elected by committee peers to serve as the chair for the 2018-19 season and was re-elected to the chair position for 2019-20 - a first for an athletics communicator.
Atkinson concluded a four-year term (2021-25) on the NCAA Division III women's volleyball national committee and was chair in 2023 and 2024, another first for an athletic communicator on that committee.
Atkinson was the chair of the CSC Goodwill and Wellness Committee for eight years and was key in establishing new initiatives. In 2011, he helped to organize CSC's first convention 5K run/walk at Marco Island, Fla., where nearly 100 people participated and over $1,600 and hundreds of clothing items were donated to St. Matthew's House in Naples, Fla. Since then, the annual 5k run/walk has nearly tripled participants from CSC and NACDA and contributed thousands to charity. His committee also debuted the Volunteer15 program in the summer of 2014, designed to promote more philanthropy among CSC members and to recognize outstanding civic and volunteer work.