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. 

Justin Doherty — University of Wisconsin Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Communications (retired)

After helping tell the story of Wisconsin Athletics for more than 30 years, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Communications Justin Doherty retired in April 2025.

A member of the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Hall of Fame, Doherty joined the Badgers in 1994, starting as an associate sports information director before concluding his time as one of the department's senior administrators.

During his run at Wisconsin, Doherty was the primary publicist for the UW men's basketball team during its run to the 2000 Final Four and was the main contact for Wisconsin football from 2001-07, a run when UW played in six bowl games and had five Badgers who were finalists for major national awards. 

Doherty was the recipient of CSC’s 2011 Arch Ward Award, which goes to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of college sports information. He also was the CSC President in 2009-10 and earned nine awards for excellence in publications from the organization. 

A native of Southfield, Michigan, Doherty transitioned into an administrative role in 2008. He has managed brand communications, marketing, video services, community relations, and facilities branding, while also acting as a liaison to the Big Ten Network. Additionally, he served as the administrator for UW's men's and women's basketball teams, as well as men's and women's track and field, cross country, soccer, and golf.

Doherty has authored four books about Badger football, including: "Tales From the Wisconsin Badgers," a collection of short stories about Wisconsin football; "The Wisconsin Football Vault" (with Vince Sweeney and Pat Richter); "The Dayne Game: Ron Dayne and the Greatest Day in Wisconsin Football History;" and "What It Means To Be A Badger," a collection of first-person remembrances from Badger football greats.

Before joining Wisconsin, Doherty served as the sports information director at North Dakota from 1992 to 1994. Prior to that, he was the assistant SID at Northern Michigan from 1990 to 1992, during which time NMU captured the 1991 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship.

Doherty and his wife, Martha, have a grown daughter, Erin.

Nick Joos, Iowa State University Senior Associate Athletic Director of Communications, CSC Hall of Fame (2014), CSC Past President (2009), CSC Arch Ward Award (2015), CSC 25-Year Award: "For more than 30 years, Justin Doherty has been an advocate for his student-athletes while passionately telling their stories, while also serving as a trusted confident and loyal friend to the coaches and administrators that he faithfully served alongside every day, and garnering respect from the media members that he assisted throughout his distinguished career. His impact on Wisconsin Athletics and the College Sports Communicators has been immeasurable and will continue to be felt for years to come. 
 
When I think back on Justin’s Hall of Fame career, I will remember a dedicated professional who was a true servant leader dedicated to helping others succeed. I had the pleasure of serving on the CSC Board of Directors for eight years with Justin, and he followed me in the officer rotation as President; the work that was done during that timeframe by the officers and board helped transform this great organization into the 365-day organization that it has become today. I have been blessed to call him a friend for many years and wish Justin and his wife Martha well as they move into life beyond ‘On Wisconsin’."

Chris McIntosh, University of Wisconsin Director of Athletics: "I had the pleasure of working with Justin Doherty while I was a student-athlete and later as a colleague. He is the ultimate team player and has contributed so greatly to the success of Wisconsin Athletics. Justin's deep expertise, integrity, institutional knowledge and passion for Wisconsin Athletics have made a lasting impact."

Doherty on serving in CSC leadership and the importance of volunteering…
"My years serving on the CSC Board and, eventually, as president were incredibly rewarding. I developed good friendships with people in the profession and I’ll always be proud of the things we accomplished like establishing the executive director position and helping CSC get aligned with NACDA. Volunteering my time with CSC took some extra effort, but it’s necessary if you want to help change things for the better."

Reflecting on his career…
"My career in college athletics started in the fall of 1984 when Nick Vista hired me as a freshman student in the sports information office at Michigan State. Four decades of friendships and lifetime experiences followed. Working in college athletics has its challenges just like anything else. But there is a special bond between people who work with student-athletes and coaches, live on the road, help make events come to life and, generally, contribute in some way to running the industry. Everyone plays a part. I am so thankful to have played mine at four different institutions in a variety of roles and to have done it with so many amazing people."