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Special Awards Program
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Arch Ward Award
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Bill Esposito Backbone Award
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Rising Star Award
2026 Special Awards Announcements Schedule
- CSC Hall of Fame Class (Jan. 12)
- Arch Ward Award; Warren Berg Award; Bill Esposito; Rising Star Awards (below)
- Achievement Awards; Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award; Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award; Lester Jordan Award; Jake Wade Award (media award); Bud Nangle Ethics Award (Jan. 14)
- Lifetime Achievement Awards; 25-Year Awards (Jan. 15)
Please note: Following this week’s announcements of all awards, CSC will highlight recipients throughout the spring with special individualized content and social media recognitions and honor them in person during the June CSCUNITE26 convention in Las Vegas (June 7-10).
By Blake Timm, Associate Director of Communications, Pacific University/Vice Chair, CSC Special Awards Committee
On the second day of 2026 Special Awards announcements, CSC recognizes three outstanding athletic communicators with the Arch Ward, Warren Berg and Bill Esposito Backbone Awards, and spotlights its four Rising Star Award honorees.
The membership’s best and brightest, both longtime members and newer professionals, are being recognized for excellence with the announcement of College Sports Communicators’ Arch Ward Award, Warren Berg Award, Bill Esposito Backbone Award and Rising Star Awards.
Mike Mahoney, the longtime athletic communications director at the University of Pennsylvania, is this year’s recipient of the Arch Ward Award.
Bill Wagner, a 2014 CSC Hall of Fame inductee and longtime assistant athletic director for athletics communications at DePauw University, is the recipient of the Warren Berg Award.
The Arch Ward and Warren Berg awards are presented annually to CSC members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of athletic communication and who, by their actions, have brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
Amy Villa, director of athletics media relations at San Jose State University, is just the 10th recipient of the Bill Esposito Backbone Award. The honor recognizes CSC members who display sound judgment and unusual courage in guiding their institution, conference office or collegiate athletics-affiliated association through a difficult public relations situation.
Four individuals will receive the 2026 CSC Rising Star Awards. The honor recognizes members with 10 years of service or less whose work, service, energy, and enthusiasm make them a “rising star” in athletic communications.
Courtney Day, associate athletics director for communications and digital strategy at DePaul University, and
Rachel Schermick, assistant executive director, communications & championships, at the Ivy League, are the University Division winners of the award.
Ashleigh Jones, athletic communications director at Denison University, and
Lance MacKenzie, manager of communications at the University of Calgary, will receive the College Division Rising Star awards.
All CSC Special Awards honorees will be recognized during CSC’s annual convention, CSC Unite 26, which takes place June 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. The convention is held in conjunction with NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week.
A closer look at these seven awards winners:
ARCH WARD AWARD
Mike Mahoney – University of Pennsylvania
Athletic Communications Director
In his 32 years in the profession,
Mike Mahoney has maintained a high level of excellence in service not only to the institutions he has worked for, but to his fellow athletic communicators.
Since 2005, Mahoney has served as the director of athletic communications at Penn, where he is the primary contact for the Quakers’ volleyball, men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, golf and rowing programs.
During his tenure, Mahoney has been the media coordinator for four NCAA championships, including the 2006 Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship, 2007 Women’s Lacrosse Championship and the 2022 Division I Men’s Basketball Sweet 16/Elite 8 rounds and the 2025 Division I Wrestling Championships. He is also a frequent volunteer at other NCAA regional events.
Since 2010, Mahoney has served as president of Philly-SIDA, a group for athletic communications staffs at 30 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. In that role, he manages a listserv that professionals can use to get help for stats, public address, and other duties. He also oversees Philly-SIDA’s Academic All-Area program.
A longtime member of CSC’s Academic All-America Core Committee, Mahoney currently serves as the program’s vice chair. A member of CSC’s Division I Cabinet since its inception, Mahoney currently serves as its chair.
Mahoney received CSC’s President’s Award in 2025 and a 25-Year Award in 2019. He is an 18-time honoree in CSC’s Fred Stabley, Sr., Writing Contest, which includes four “Best In The Nation” awards. An active member of East-Comm, Mahoney received the organization’s Irving T. Marsh Award in 2017.
Prior to his tenure at Penn, Mahoney served six years (1999-2005) as associate director of media relations at Northwestern University and six years (1993-1999) as assistant sports information director at Dartmouth College.
Mahoney received his bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth and earned a Master of Sports Administration degree from Ohio University in 2017.
Arch Ward Award
Voted upon by the Special Awards Committee, the Arch Ward Award is presented annually to a CSC member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college athletics communications and, who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
WARREN BERG AWARD
Bill Wagner – DePauw University
Assistant Athletic Director for Athletics Communications
One of the most respected professionals at the NCAA Division III level,
Bill Wagner has spent parts of five decades in service to student-athletes, including 40 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
Wagner became DePauw’s sports information director in 1986 and was promoted to assistant athletics director for athletics communications in 2019. He oversees the external communications efforts for the Tigers’ 23 programs. Prior to DePauw, Wagner served as part of the sports information staffs at his alma maters, Miami University (Ohio) and The Ohio State University.
In addition to DePauw’s student-athletes, Wagner has served the profession at the highest level. A College Division Representative on CSC’s Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008, Wagner was the first president of the Division III Sports Information Directors Association, serving from 2008 to 2011. He has served the Academic All-America Core Committee since 2002 and continues to serve as a district coordinator.
Wagner has been a host media coordinator for over 100 NCAA postseason competitions, including 2001 Division III Men’s Tennis Championships and the 2003 and 2010 Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
For as much as Wagner is known for his excellence in the office, he is also known for having been a friend, mentor and confidant for hundreds of other professionals in his 40-plus years in the business.
A 2014 inductee into the CSC Hall of Fame, Wagner was inducted into the DePauw University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025. He received DePauw’s Outstanding Gold Spirit Award in 2024 and the Bob Williams Helping Hands Award from the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association in 2025. His resume includes numerous CSC Publication & Digital Design Awards, including “Best In The Nation” awards for DePauw’s 1996 and 1997 football media guides.
Wagner graduated from Miami University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in marketing and emphasis on advertising and marketing research. He earned a Master of Arts degree in sport management from Ohio State in 1986.
Wagner and his wife, Shelly, are the proud parents of two children: Nadia and John.
Warren Berg Award
Voted upon by the Special Awards Committee, the Warren Berg Award is presented annually to a CSC College Division member (NCAA Divisions II & III, NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions) who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college athletics communications and, who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
BILL ESPOSITO BACKBONE AWARD
Amy Villa – San Jose State University
Director of Athletics Media Relations
A member of the San Jose State athletics communications staff for 32 years,
Amy Villa is just the 10th CSC member to receive the organization’s Bill Esposito Backbone Award, recognizing professionals who have displayed sound judgment and unusual courage in guiding their institution through a difficult public relations situation.
The primary contact for the Spartans’ volleyball program, Villa faced numerous challenges as the team spent the 2024 season in the spotlight and a focal point in the debate over participation in athletics by transgender people. Villa fielded hundreds of media requests and inquiries, displaying exceptional professionalism in her work with student-athletes, coaches, and university officials.
While the issue not only pitted players against each other and made the program a focal point in the national media and in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Villa rose to the challenge of trying to keep the focus on the game and the Spartans’ on-court accomplishments.
“Through it all, Amy remained a calm, steady and friendly presence,” said Sky Kerstein, San Jose State’s associate athletic director for communications and broadcasting. “Her empathy and approachability provided comfort to student-athletes, while her diligence and clear communication reassured leadership and staff alike.”
Villa has spent all but one year in her 32-year career at San Jose State, where she was the longtime assistant for the legendary Lawrence Fan. She began as a sports information intern at SJSU in 1993. She spent the 1995-96 season as an assistant sports information director at the University of Minnesota before becoming SJSU’s assistant sports information director in 1996.
A longtime member of CSC’s Academic All-America Core Committee, Villa received a CSC 25-Year Award in 2021.
Villa is a 1993 graduate of Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, with a degree in speech communications. She and her husband, Derrick, saw their daughter, Grace, graduate from SJSU in 2024.
Bill Esposito Backbone Award
Presented to a CSC member who displays sound judgment and unusual courage in guiding their institution, conference office or collegiate athletics-affiliated association through a difficult media relations situation. Voted upon by the Special Awards Committee and awarded only when worthy candidates are nominated.
Rising Star Awards
Voted upon by the Special Awards Committee, the Rising Star Award is presented annually to CSC members in the University Division (Division I) and in the College Division (NCAA Divisions II & III, NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions) with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution, conference office or intercollegiate athletics-affiliated institution, and service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession that make that individual a “rising star” in athletics communications.
RISING STAR AWARD, UNIVERSITY DIVISION
Courtney Day – DePaul University
Associate Athletics Director for Communications and Digital Strategy
In her eighth year as a full-time athletics communications professional,
Courtney Day has risen in that time from the intern ranks to leading a Division I athletic communications office.
DePaul’s associate athletic director for athletics communications and digital strategy since 2022, Day leads a staff of four to cover the accomplishments of the student-athletes in the Blue Demons’ 15 programs. She is the primary contact for DePaul’s men’s basketball and men’s golf programs and is one of just two women in the Big East Conference to lead communications efforts for a men’s basketball program.
Prior to her arrival at DePaul, Day spent the 2021-22 season as the primary men’s basketball contact for the University of Missouri, where she also oversaw the athletic department’s primary social media accounts.
Day began her career as a communications assistant at Syracuse University, where she served as the primary contact for volleyball and softball and secondary contact for men’s basketball. She also spent two years (2019-21) as assistant director of athletics communications at North Carolina State, where she was the primary contact for volleyball, softball and rifle, and was the secondary contact for men’s basketball.
A member of CSC’s Career Services, Creative & Digital Design Contest Committee and Young Professionals committees, Day was recognized as part of CSC’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2024.
Day graduated from Drake University in 2018 with degrees in public relations and marketing. She was a student intern in Drake’s athletic communications office and also had internships with USA Softball and Kansas City T-Bones.
RISING STAR AWARD, UNIVERSITY DIVISION
Rachel Schermick – Ivy League
Assistant Executive Director, Communications & Championships
Rachel Schermick has experienced an exceptional rise in her nine-year career. Since 2022, Schermick has served as the Ivy League’s Assistant Executive Director for Communications and Championships, where she oversees communications efforts for a number of sports, helps lead the league’s branding efforts for championship events, and assists with the planning and execution of several of the league’s 19 postseason events.
Schermick arrived at the Ivy League after four years (2018-2022) as assistant director of athletic communications at Hofstra University, eventually being promoted to director of creative content in Fall 2021. She was the primary contact for Hofstra’s women’s soccer, women’s basketball and softball programs and oversaw all of the Pride’s digital content.
Schermick’s journey includes two stints at the University of New Haven. She began her career as the school’s athletic communications multimedia graduate assistant from 2015 to 2016. After seven months as assistant sports information director at SUNY Maritime College, she returned to New Haven for one year as assistant director of athletic communications.
A past member of CSC’s Creative & Digital Design and Convention Programming committees, Schermick graduated from DeSales University in 2015 with a degree in sport management. She received her master’s degree in sport management, with a concentration in collegiate athletic administration, from New Haven in 2016.
Schermick is also an active member of Women Leaders in Sports. She and her husband, Casey, have one daughter, Anja.
RISING STAR AWARD, COLLEGE DIVISION
Ashleigh Jones – Denison University
Director of Athletics Communication
Now in her sixth year in the profession,
Ashleigh Jones became Denison University’s director of athletic communications in January 2025. She leads an office of three professionals that chronicle the Big Reds’ 24 NCAA Division III programs.
Jones earned her first leadership position after spending five years (2019-2024) as associate director of athletic communications at DePauw University, where she worked with 2025 Warren Berg Award winner Bill Wagner. At DePauw, Jones managed the Tigers’ student assistants and advised the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Diverse Athletic Association. In 2020, she developed a semester-long on-campus internship with the DePauw Media Fellows program that introduced more students to athletic communications.
This is not Jones’ first rising star award. In 2023, Jones received DePauw’s inaugural Rising Star Award, an honor selected by members of the university’s cabinet. That same year, Jones was selected to the Learfield EDGE Academy cohort.
In 2024, Jones was selected for the inaugural cohort for the NCAA Division II Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite Program.
Prior to her arrival at DePauw, Jones spent one year (2017-18) as a sports information graduate at North Central College in Illinois.
Jones graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 2014 with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in communications. She earned a Master’s of leadership, with an emphasis in sports leadership, from North Central College in 2018.
RISING STAR AWARD, COLLEGE DIVISION
Lance McKenzie – University of Calgary
Manager, Communications
Now in his 10th year in athletic communications,
Lance McKenzie is the first professional from a Canadian institution selected to receive CSC’s Rising Star Award.
McKenzie is in his eighth year in the athletic communications office at the University of Calgary. He served as the Dinos’ digital media coordinator from 2017 to 2021 and was promoted to manager of communications in 2021, where he leads the communications efforts for the Dinos’ 18 U Sports programs.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, McKenzie spent one year (2016-17) as communications coordinator for the Canadian Sport Institute-Pacific, and one year (2015-16) in communications and sales for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League.
McKenzie has earned Calgary four Canada West Sports Information Awards, earning honors for Top Feature Story and Top Photo in 2019 and Top Social Campaign awards in 2020 and 2025.
McKenzie has served as the U Sports liaison for the CSC Academic All-America Core Committee since 2021. He presented an Educational Lounge session on visual storytelling at CSC Unite 2023 and has presented on continuing education panels for the CAN CSC.
McKenzie was named to CSC’s 2022 “30 Under 30” class.
McKenzie earned his bachelor’s degree from Calgary in 2015, where he also served as a student assistant in the communications office. He earned a master’s degree from Ohio University in 2022.