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 2025) who are retiring or leaving the profession. Years of service vetted by the Special Awards Committee. 

Steve Levy – UMBC (retired)

Steve Levy, a 1985 University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) graduate and a 39-year member of the athletics staff at his alma mater, retired in 2024. He was hired out of college as the assistant sports information director and was shortly promoted to sports information director at the age of 23 in UMBC's first year of NCAA Division I competition.

He served as SID from 1986-92 before being named assistant athletics director for athletic communications in 1992. Levy held that title until 2004 when he was promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Athletic Communications and served in that role until his retirement.

Levy continues to stay very active in intercollegiate sports communications, performing game day and writing assignments for Loyola University Maryland, Stevenson University and Towson University. He also works as a press box attendant for the Baltimore Ravens. 

He was inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame in October of 2022. 

Levy served on the CSC Scholarship Committee for more than a decade and received the organization's 25-Year award in 2019. He was also a presenter at the 2018 CSC Convention.

On campus, he served on the UMBC Strategic Planning Committee and was a UMBC Professional Staff Senator. Levy received the Dr. Martin Schwartz Award from the UMBC Men's Lacrosse program in 2013 for outstanding contributions to the program. His UMBC Sports Spotlights earned two awards from the CTV Channel 15 Cam Awards (Prince George's County, Md.) - in 2000 (First Place) and 2001 (Second Place).

In 1994, Levy chaired the UMBC search committee, which recommended the hiring of US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Coach Don Zimmerman. Zimmerman led the Retrievers to their first six NCAA Tournament appearances in a 23-year tenure. He served as the media director for the 1995 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship first and second round games at the Baltimore Arena (now CFG Bank Arena) and performed the same duties for the 1998 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championships and the 2001 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championships (quarterfinals). 

Levy also was a volunteer official scorer at the 2003-04 and 2007 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships (Final Four).

John Hartrick, Binghamton University Senior Associate AD of Communications, CSC 25-Year Award (2017): "Steve's career no doubt will be defined by his incredible decades of contributions to UMBC but also by his professionalism, peer and media relationships and his polish in the skills that our industry demands. When your teams faced UMBC, especially on the road, you knew Steve would be thorough and accurate in his coverage and welcoming in his approach. He checks every box of what you would want from a communications professional. Steve's historical recall and his relationships with Retrievers student-athletes, coaches and alums have been invaluable to UMBC and won't be replicated anytime soon. He is a talented and versatile communicator who embraces the ‘grind’ and has expanded his skillset as the years go by. Steve is a valued colleague and friend and he is so deserving of this recognition. Congratulations Steve!!"

Edward Lee, The Baltimore Sun sports reporter: "For more than 15 years, I had the pleasure of working with Steve covering basketball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, softball, track, and baseball at UMBC. Throughout that time, Steve was an exemplary representative of the university and a conduit to interviews with student-athletes, coaches and administrators, and he always worked diligently to ensure that I could talk to them in a timely fashion to meet my deadlines. Steve exemplified all the excellent traits a reporter could hope for in a sports information director, and he is most deserving of this honor."

Jerry Milani, Caldwell University Director of Athletic Communications, former UMBC athletic communications staff member: "Steve has been instrumental in every part of my career journey, and I'm pleased and proud that we've remained friends all these years later. One thing that has always stuck with me is Steve’s management style. He was the team captain rather than just ‘boss.’ He allowed me the flexibility to take on tasks, make and learn from mistakes and have some creativity without being over my shoulder all the time — exactly what I needed."



On receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award…
"I am honored and humbled to stand alongside icons of the athletic communications profession and receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from College Sports Communicators. Each of our stories is unique, but I am certain we share two things in common. First, none of us went to college to become an SID. Second, all of us fell in love with the profession which gave us the tools to enhance the intercollegiate experience for very deserving young women and men."

Reflecting back on his career and the role of his family…
"And yes, we sacrifice a great deal to excel at our craft. But our sacrifice pales in comparison to that of our families. Husbands, wives, parents, children and other loved ones likely pushed some of their dreams to the side as they put us on their shoulders to see us succeed. In my case, my four children did not have me present at many school functions and extracurricular activities, but never made me feel bad about not being present. At least not to my face.

And making the greatest sacrifice was my wife, Lois, who held things together throughout all of those years, especially when disasters like broken bones, lightning strikes, major snowstorms would invariably take place when I was out on the road. I truly outkicked my coverage.

I can describe my four decades of work in this noble field as a 'Headlong Flight.' (Rush song, from Clockwork Angels, lyrics Neil Peart) 

But on balance, I wouldn’t change a thing."