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25-Year Award
Presented to College Sports Communicators members who have completed 25 years in the athletics communications profession.
Vetted and voted on by the Special Awards Committee.
Matt Turk — Long Beach State University Associate Athletic Communications Director
Matt Turk joined the Athletics Communications team at Long Beach State in October of 2023. Turk came to Long Beach State from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where he served as the sports information contact for men’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s and women’s cross country. Turk promoted the 2018 Big West Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament champions in his stint at Northridge. In addition, he was the contact for CSUN men’s soccer players Danny Trejo and Giovanni Aguilar, selected in the MLS SuperDraft.
Roger Kirk, Long Beach State Associate Athletics Director – "Matt’s extensive experience and knowledge has been invaluable to our strategic communications efforts at Long Beach State. No job or detail is too small to be done well, and he’s gained well-earned respect from our department, coaches, and student-athletes. I’m thrilled to see him receive his 25-Year Award honor; no one is more deserving."
Gallery: (4-3-2024) Matt Turk, 25-Year Award
Larry Happel, Central College Athletic Communications Director /CSC Hall of Fame – "The word that immediately comes to mind with Matt is grinder. No one can outwork the guy. Game notes, stats, all-time records. Give him four walls and a laptop and he just churns it out. He also takes pride in being super aggressive, which is part of his New York City persona. I remember when he arrived at Simpson in the days before email and he said his goal was to run every Des Moines media outlet out of fax paper. He made a huge impact on Simpson’s visibility. I’ve always held Matt in high regard, not only for his work but his razor-sharp wit. Matt is a pro."
George Ellis, retired North Dakota State Sports Information Director/CSC Hall of Fame – "I had the pleasure of hiring Matt as a graduate assistant at North Dakota State University more than two decades ago. I have watched his career with great interest since that time, and it has confirmed what I knew then – he was, and continues to be, a talented and outstanding individual. His success in a rapidly changing and challenging profession is a testament to his ability to succeed and thrive. My congratulations!"
Tom Galbraith, Randolph College Director of Athletics – "Turk’s career and mine have intersected at so many different times. We were both North Dakota State grad assistants, although at different times. He was the SID at my alma mater for the bulk of his career, and I was always impressed and informed as an interested alumnus. We worked together as SIDs in the same league during that same span, and Turk was always the consummate pro. We tease him a lot about NYT – New York Turk - and when that persona would come out, but it’s awesome to see him now as a Division I Californian and a family man still doing what he loves."
Turk on what led him to pursue a career in college sports communications...
I fell into the business. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a broadcaster and was the sports director at St. John’s University radio station, WSJU. I often worked with the then sports information staff at St. John’s and became interested in what they were doing. I started working with an amateur baseball team in New York, the Bayside Yankees, which allowed me to create a portfolio of work. With my resume and portfolio in hand, I sent it all over the country, and a year after graduating, I was fortunate enough to be hired at North Dakota State in 1995.
The biggest changes he’s experienced in this profession in his 25 years of service...
The biggest challenge has been the evolution from what I call the “back of the baseball card” to the “front of the baseball card.” When I began my career, the emphasis was being written which was how you generated interest in your school. Today, a greater emphasis is placed on creating content that can be seen and felt by your fans, and the balance of the two is what I find to be the most challenging.
Advice for those folks entering the sports communication business now…
My advice is to create a solid foundation for yourself. I think you should be able to write; I believe you should be fluent in as many different programs as possible and be able to balance the many other things that come your way. It will lead to success.