College Sports Information Directors of America

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. 

Joe Vanden Acker – Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations 

Joe Vanden Acker came to Lawrence University, a NCAA Division III institution in Appleton, WI, from an award-winning sportswriting and sports editor career at the Oshkosh Northwestern in 1999. 
 
Vanden Acker’s duties include coordinating media coverage and storytelling for Lawrence’s 22 varsity teams, producing video webcasts for 12 Lawrence teams,  and serving as the "Voice of the Vikings" for hockey, baseball and softball. He is also Lawrence's de facto athletic historian and the chair of Lawrence’s Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame Committee

Vanden Acker served as the host media relations director for the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship for 19 years from 2000-18 when the event was played at Fox Cities Stadium just outside of Appleton. He was the media relations director for the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship when the event was hosted by the Midwest Conference at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake, Wis.

Vanden Acker has been honored by CSC for feature stories and student-athlete profiles in the annual Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. 

A 1989 graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Vanden Acker has served on the Department of Journalism Advisory Board at his alma mater and on the Fox Cities Sports Commission. After his graduation from UW-Oshkosh, Vanden Acker was the reporter and sports editor at the Ripon Commonwealth-Press before going to the Oshkosh Northwestern.

Vanden Acker and his wife, Julie, live in Fox Crossing, Wis., and have a daughter, Anna, who is a dual-sport award-winning student-athlete at Lawrence in tennis and track and field. Anna received 2023 All-Midwest Conference honors in tennis, and in 2024, she was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team.


 

Chris Graham, Rocky Mountain athletic conference commissioner: "Joe epitomizes the values and virtues of a college sports communicator. His accurate and truthful work, coupled with his terrific story-telling, established him as a trusted industry leader and colleague well-known throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest, and Division III."

Mike Sherry, Appleton Post-Crescent sports editor: "JVA, as everyone calls him, is a first-ballot hall of famer as a director of media relations and as a person. He’s talented, versatile and a great storyteller. His knowledge of Lawrence athletics history is incredible, and his ability to quickly recall names and accomplishments at the drop of a hat is stunning. JVA has a story to tell about everyone, and everyone has a story to tell about JVA. As athletes, coaches and even administrators have come and gone through the years, JVA has been a rock in the Lawrence athletics department. In many ways, he has been the heart and soul of Lawrence University for the last 25 years."

John Tharp, Hillsdale College director of athletics: "Joe Vandenacker is much more than his role as SID. Joe is a man that has dedicated his life to the student- athletes and coaches of Lawrence University. Joe never has looked at his work as a job, but as a labor of love! He cares about capturing and then telling the stories of student- athletes and teams, and promoting them in the best light possible. Joe is as passionate about Lawrence University athletics as anyone I’ve ever met, and he truly cares about the success of the programs he works with, and the student-athletes and coaches he highlights."

Kennan Timm, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh sports information director (retired)/CSC Hall of Famer (2012): "Joe has represented Lawrence University the past 25-plus years with great loyalty and has gone above and beyond to enhance the overall experience of the student-athlete, coach and other members of his university community. The manner in which Joe relates with his administrators, coaches, student workers, media and peers make him an extremely valued member in the college sports communicator profession and a person who I have been proud to know and work with since his days as a student at UW-Oshkosh."

David Johnson, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse assistant athletic director for media relations: "It is with great pleasure to recognize and honor Joe Vanden Acker for his 25-Year Award from the College Sports Communicators. He is a fixture in the Lawrence University Athletics Department and on the campus as a whole. Joe is someone you can always contact with questions about our profession.

I was able to get to know Joe when he served as the host media relations director at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. When help was needed, Joe was ready to assist in so many different aspects of the championship. His genuine care for the well-being of the athletic department has always been visible to so many people. I congratulate Joe on this tremendous award and wish him the best in the future."




VandenAcker on his 25 years in college sports communications… 
I’m amazed to find myself looking back at 25 years working in college athletics. I was trained and worked as a journalist and didn’t think my career path would take me to Lawrence. I knew so little about what I was going to be doing when I started back in 1999, but I learned from others and taught myself to do a myriad of things. I’ve seen massive changes in multiple aspects of this job, but the constant has always been working with the athletes and coaches. We’ve endured many highs and lows together, and the bond I feel with the generations of Lawrence athletes I’ve seen compete is unbelievably strong.

Advice and encouragement for young college sports communicators…
For those just starting life in athletic communications, I would encourage you to remember two things. The first thing would be to enjoy the moment – amazing victories, spectacular plays, even heartbreaking losses. Revel in the highs but don’t forget the lows. They make the highs seem even better. The second thing is to take care of yourself. It’s very easy for this profession to wear you down with long hours or unrealistic expectations. Take time for yourself and your family. You’ll never think later in life that you spent too much time with your children or your loved ones.