Presented annually to a current College Sports Communicators 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. Voted on by the Special Awards Committee.
Arch Ward was sports editor of the Chicago Tribune from 1930 until he died in 1955. He is credited with inventing the concept of an all-star contest. All-star games began in 1933 with the first baseball all-star game. The following year, Ward initiated the College All-Star football game.
Arch Ward Award Recipients
2025 Tony Neely – University of Kentucky
2024 Amy Yakola – Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
2023 Larry Dougherty – Temple
2022 Charles Bloom – South Carolina
2021 Pete Moore – Syracuse
2020 Judy Willson – LSU
2019 Herb Vincent – Southeastern Conference
2018 Alan Cannon – Texas A&M
2017 Jeff Hodges – North Alabama
2016 Bernadette Cafarelli – The American Athletic Conference/Notre Dame
2015 Nick Joos – Baylor
2014 Julie Bennett – Baylor
2013 Shelly Poe – Auburn
2012 Lawrence Fan – San José State
2011 Justin Doherty – Wisconsin
2010 Al Shrier – Temple
2009 William "Bill" Hamilton – South Carolina State
2008 Debby Jennings – Tennessee
2007 John Paquette – Big East Conference
2006 Bud Ford – Tennessee
2005 Ed Carpenter – Boston University
2004 Claude Felton – Georgia
2003 Jim Wright – NCAA
2002 Hal Cowan – Oregon State
2001 Langston Rogers – Mississippi
2000 Mary Jo Haverbeck – Penn State
1999 Rick Brewer – North Carolina
1998 Bill Little – Texas
1997 Dave Cawood – NCAA
1996 Fred Nuesch – Texas A&M-Kingsville
1995 Howie Davis – Massachusetts
1994 John Humenik – Florida
1993 Tom Price – South Carolina
1992 Dave Wohlhueter – Cornell
1991 Haywood Harris – Tennessee
1990 Steve Boda – NCAA
1989 Dave Schulthess – Brigham Young
1988 Marv Homan – Ohio State
1987 Roger Valdiserri – Notre Dame
1986 Jim Mott – Wisconsin
1985 Nick Vista – Michigan State
1984 Bill Esposito – St. John's
1983 Elmore Hudgins – Southeastern Conference
1982 Jones Ramsey – Texas
1981 Don Bryant – Nebraska
1980 Bill Whitmore – Rice
1979 Marvin Francis – Atlantic Coast Conference/Wake Forest
1978 Frank Soltys – Arizona
1977 Bob Bradley – Clemson
1976 Bob Hartley – Mississippi State
1975 Bill Callahan – Missouri
1974 Charley Thornton – Alabama
1973 Wilbur Synpp – Ohio State
1972 Bill Young – Wyoming
1971 Tom Miller – Indiana
1970 Baaron Pittenger – Harvard
1969 Wilbur Evans – Southwest Conference
1968 Eric Wilson – Iowa
1967 Bob Culp – Western Michigan
1966 Ernest Goodman – Howard
1965 Don Pierce – Kansas
1964 Ned West – Georgia Tech
1963 Wiles Hallock – Wyoming
1962 Fred Stabley Sr. – Michigan State
1961 Harold Keith – Oklahoma
1960 Bob Paul – Pennsylvania
1959 John Cox – Navy
1958 Lester Jordan – Southern Methodist