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. 

Brian Fremund — Vanderbilt University Associate Athletic Director for Communications

A recipient of a CSC 25-Year Award, Brian Fremund joined the Vanderbilt athletic staff in 2022 as assistant athletic director for communications. He came to Vanderbilt from South Alabama, where he served in various communications capacities from 2008-22, most recently as associate athletic director for communications and digital media. Fremund oversees communications efforts for the Commodore basketball programs and serves as the primary contact for swimming.

Fremund is the chair of the CSC Scholarships and Grants Committee. He is also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, as well as the United States Basketball Writers Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

At South Alabama, Fremund led the Jaguars’ promotion of 17 varsity programs while serving as the primary communications contact for the football and men’s golf programs. He was the sport administrator for the men’s and women’s tennis programs from 2014-22.

Fremund coordinated the nomination of student-athletes for NCAA awards and scholarships as well as Sun Belt Conference year-end awards, resulting in seven individuals earning postgraduate scholarships in a seven-year span and the school’s first Sun Belt Student-Athlete of the Year award winner in 16 years.

He spent nine years at Western Kentucky, starting in 1999 as an assistant sports information director and primary contact for both the football and softball programs. In 2002, he was promoted to director of athletic media relations.

Fremund also spent time at New Orleans (1997-99) and Jacksonville (1995-97). He began his career in the sports information field as a student assistant at Richmond and served as an intern at the Colonial Athletic Association his senior year. The New Jersey native graduated from Richmond with degrees in economics and political science. Upon graduation, he served an internship in the Jacksonville sports information office. He also gained writing experience at The Florida Times-Union.

Kevin Beasley, University of South Alabama Associate Director of Communications & Digital Media: "Brian Fremund is someone I have known since I began in this business…I had the pleasure of working with him on a daily basis when led our office at South Alabama for well over a decade. Under his leadership and guidance, we made it a priority to be one of the best offices not only in the Sun Belt Conference, but also regionally and nationally. I owe a large part of my professional growth in the industry to working with Brian and I'm incredibly thankful for the time I had to work with him.

As our industry has evolved, Brian has made sure that he was at the forefront in keeping up with all advancements to better facilitate our jobs of communicating with our constituents. He has the best intentions and a genuine care and concern for all those around him. The way he is able to tell 'the story' of the student-athletes or programs he works with, helps build a connection with their fan bases.

I am honored to call him a friend. During his 25 years, anyone who has come in contact with Brian whether it be student-athletes, coaches or co-workers, has been profoundly touched because of their time around him."

Richard Paige, Wabash College Director of Marketing & Media Relations: "I’m fortunate to have known Brian for the entirety of his career, and in that time he has proven to be a consummate professional, a champion for the well-being and accomplishments of student-athletes, and a wonderful colleague. He’s grown into a highly respected voice within the profession, provides needed counsel administratively, and is a courteous host to media and opposing teams. To have earned such distinction from the College Sports Communicators is a fitting tribute to the quality person that Brian is. This profession is lucky to have people like Brian in it."

Michael Scholl, Vanderbilt University Assistant Athletic Director for Communications: "We’re grateful to have Brian as part of our team at Vanderbilt. Since stepping on campus, his leadership has had a tremendous impact on our relatively young staff, helping stabilize a unit that had experienced some turnover before his arrival. He brings a steadiness to our department and helps everyone ride the highs and lows of our business. When things get chaotic, Brian consistently reorients everyone to our true mission — supporting our student-athletes."

Fremund on being a 25-Year Award recipient…
"Working in collegiate athletics for my entire professional career has truly been a blessing. I am extremely grateful to my mentors who helped set me on the right path from the beginning, which has allowed me to develop and progress over the years. I’m thankful to all the individuals who have worked on staffs that I have been fortunate to lead. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their efforts and contributions to our units. And I appreciate the hundreds of colleagues I’ve been fortunate to interact with over the years. One of the things I love about CSC and our profession is how all the travel and events we cover leads to friendships that go beyond our jobs."

Advice to other athletic communicators…  
"I have definitely tried to lead by example over the years, not just attempting to set a standard with how I conduct myself but for expectations of the work we produce. One thing I am very sensitive to is to never ask a colleague to do something I have not done in the past or am not willing to do myself. I think anyone who does that puts themselves at risk of losing their staff. 

And, in this day and age of digital communication, I still try to find people personally to have conversations — whether or not it is about a particular assignment or just to check in. Relationships matter, and it’s always a good idea to stay engaged not just within athletics but also on your campus."