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. Members may self-nominate for this award.
2026
J.D. Campbell – Indiana University
Alan Cannon – Texas A&M University
Jim Daves – University of Virginia
Jerry Emig – Ohio State University
Scott Guise – York College (posthumous honor)
Doug Hauschild – University of Dayton
Ken Johnson, Jr. – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (posthumous honor)
Ann King – Russell Sage College (posthumous honor)
Chad Moller – University of Missouri
Steve Rourke – UCLA
Marc Ryan – University of Minnesota
Bob Shreve – Gannon University
Ray Simmons – University of Southern Indiana
Mike Stamus – Georgia Institute of Technology
Chuck Sullivan – American Conference (posthumous honor)
Chris Wenzler – John Carroll University (posthumous honor)
2025
Rich Bertolucci — UCLA (posthumous honor)
Justin Doherty — Wisconsin (retired)
Steve East — University of Central Arkansas
Claude Felton — Georgia (retired)
Larry Happel — Central College
John Heisler — UCF (retired)
John Kean — Missouri S&T (retired)
Barb Kowal — College Sports Communicators
Joni Lehmann — Big 12 Conference (retired)
Steve Levy — UMBC
Rick Meyers — Northern Kentucky University
Donny Nadeau — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (retired)
Rick Nixon — NCAA
John Painter — Maryville College (Tenn.)
John Paquette — BIG EAST Conference
Shelly Poe — Auburn University
Sean Straziscar — NCAA
Dick Quinn — Williams College
Larry White — Alabama (retired)
2024
Joe Browning – UNC Wilmington (retired)
Larry Dougherty – Temple University (retired)
Bill Jones - Skidmore College (retired)
Dick Lipe – Bentley University (retired)
Gene McGivern – University of St. Thomas (retired)
Diane Nordstrom – University of Wisconsin (retired)
Dave Saba – Duquesne University (retired)
Tom Schott – Purdue University (retired)
2023
David Alexander – College of St. Rose
Paul Allan – Minnesota State University (retired)
Herb Benenson – University of California, Berkeley (retired)
Dave Blanchard – Luther College (retired)
Kent Brown – University of Illinois
Geoffrey Hassard – SUNY-Oneonta (retired)
Samuel Jefferson, Jr. – Jackson State University (retired)
Brian Laubscher – Washington and Lee University
John A. Martin – Colorado State University
Eric McDowell – The Eric Idea Agency
Brad Nadeau – Middlebury College (retired)
Dennis O'Donnell – University of Rochester (retired)
Layne Pitt – University of Wisconsin-Stout (retired)
Bill Powers – Hawai'i Pacific University (retired)
Dave Reed – Colorado College (retired)
Lenny Reich – University of Mount Union (posthumously)
Steve Roe – University of Iowa
Mike Scala – Montclair State University (posthumously)
Joe Seil – Nazareth College (retired)
Steve Shutt – Wake Forest University (retired)
Roots Woodruff – University of Alabama (retired)
2022
Bill Bennett – UCLA (retired)
Mark Brand- Arizona State University (retired)
Russ Blunck – University of Hawaii at Hilo (retired)
Scott Cummings – McKendree University (Posthumous)
Marc Dellins – UCLA (retired)
Tom Duddleston – University of Arizona (retired)
Lawrence Fan – San José State University (Posthumous)
Steve Fenk – Oregon State University
Rosa Gatti - ESPN (retired)
Mike Green – Iowa State University
Lonza Hardy, Jr. – MEAC (retired)
Dave Hirsch – PAC-12
Kenny Klein – University of Louisville
Tom Kroeschell – Iowa State University (retired)
Steve Malchow – Iowa State University (retired)
Tim Tessalone – University of Southern California (retired)
Kennan Timm – University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Doug Vance – CoSIDA
Dave Williford – University of Oregon
2021
Norma Bertoch – BYU
Debbie Copp – Oklahoma
B.L. Elfring – Southern Maine
Gregory Goings – Bowie State
Jerry Hanson – Clarke
Tom Nelson – St. Cloud State
Kevin Ruple – Baldwin-Wallace
Jim Thies – Wisconsin-River Falls
2020
Blair Cash – Multnomah University
Debbie Darrah – Texas A&M University
Doug Dull – American University
Joe Hernandez – Ball State University
Stew Salowitz – Illinois Wesleyan University
Jeff Schwartz - North Dakota State University
Jim Sheehan – Hofstra University
Jim Vruggink – Purdue University
Matt Zircher - University of Northwestern Ohio (posthumous)
2019
Liz Abel – University of Utah
Glenn Alford – Idaho State University
Tim Bourret – Clemson University
Rick Brewer – University of North Carolina
Bob Noss – Wright State University
Rob Schabert – Tennessee Tech University
Steve Schwepker – Point University
Steve Ulrich – Centennial Conference
2018
Mike Finn – Atlantic Coast Conference
Mike Kirk – University of Central Oklahoma
Jack Neumann – University of Calgary
Scott Selheimer – University of Delaware
Bob Ziadie – King's College
Ralph Zobell – BYU
2017
Max Corbet – Boise State University
Bud Focht – Rider University
Jack Frost – Winthrop University
Edward Hill, Jr. – Howard University
Steve McCloskey – Mansfield University
Tom McGuire – Bloomsburg University
Roy Pickerill – Kentucky Wesleyan University
2016
Julie Bennett – Baylor University
Howie Davis – University of Massachusetts and Springfield College
Tamara Flarup – Wisconsin
Bob Guptill – Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Rich Herman – Clarion University
Debby Jennings – University of Tennessee
Wally Johnson – St. Lawrence University
Bill Little – University of Texas
Paul Madison – Western Washington University
Kevin Southard – University of Scranton
Ed Syguda – Otterbein University
Debbie Harmison White – Old Dominion
2015
Anne Abicht – St. Cloud State
Mike Gore – UNC Asheville
Dave Guffey – Montana
Carol Hudson – Old Dominion
Brad Larsen – Weber State
Steve Marovich – Carthage
Jim McGrath – Butler
Dan O'Connell – Towson
Oliver Pierce – Gonzaga
Mady Salvani – Army
Dave Smith – Virginia Tech
John Stallings – Rutgers-Newark
Marty Valdez – Cal State East Bay
Bob Vazquez – Cal State Northridge
2014
Tom Fick – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Rick Leddy – Southern Connecticut State University/National Association of Basketball Coaches
Bruce Madej – University of Michigan
Tom Renner – Hope College/Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
2013
Ken Cerino – Western New England University
Carole Grills – Smith College
Bill Hamilton – South Carolina State University
Joe Mitch – Missouri Valley Conference
Jim Streeter – Eastern Michigan University
2012
Bob Condron – United State Olympic Committee (USOC)
Wallace Dooley, Jr. – Tennessee State University
Bud Ford – University of Tennessee
Phil Haddy – University of Iowa
Mike Mahon – Drake University
Peter Schlehr – Towson University
Bill Turnage – Florida Southern
2011
Mike Moran – United States Olympic Committee
A. John Pearson – Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Walt Riddle – Saint Leo
2010
Wayne Block – Christopher Newport
Paul Carson – University of Toronto
Rod Commons – Washington State
Rick Covington – Blue-Gray Football Classic/TCU
Langston Rogers – Ole Miss
Bill Steinman – Columbia University
Woody Wilk – Fresno City College
2009
Gary Anderson – Nebraska-Omaha
Bob Cornell – Colgate
Ron Hines – Southeast Missouri State
Larry Scott – Minnesota State-Moorhead
2008
Nancy Justice – Northern Iowa
Tim Petermann – Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Mark Stillwell – Missouri State
2007
George Ellis – North Dakota State
Stan Green – Oklahoma Christian
Mike Korcek – Northern Illinois
Ron Lenz – South Dakota State
2006
Ed Carpenter – Boston University
Tom Lamonica – Illinois State
Ron Lenz – South Dakota State
Karl Park – Eastern Kentucky
Larry Smith – Arkansas Tech
2005
John Alosi – Shippensburg
2004
Fred Nuesch – Texas A&M-Kingsville
Jack Sareault – NW Collegiate Sports
2003
Hal Cowan – Oregon State
Will Keener – Cal State-Stanislaus
2002
Pete Nevins – E. Stroudsburg
Wally Renfro – NCAA
2001
Fred Huff – Southern Illinois-Carbondale
Chuck Prophet – Mississippi Valley State
Duane Schroeder – Warburg
Bruce Woodbury – Utah
2000
Tom Bates – Navy
Haywood Harris – Tennessee
Mary Jo Haverbeck – Penn State
Dennis Schroeder – Northwestern, Minnesota
June Stewart – Vanderbilt
Jack Zane – Maryland
1999
John Beatty – Western Michigan
J.W. Campbell – Western State
John Carpenter – Slippery Rock
Ed Given – Middle Tennessee
Bob Kenworthy – Gettysburg
Jim McKone – Texas-Pan American
Jay Monsen – Brigham Young
Emil Parker – Davidson
Garner Roberts – Abilene Christian
Doyle Smith – Virginia
1998
Herb Hartnet – Maryland
Steve White – W. Carolina
Dave Wohlhueter – Cornell
Earl Yestingsmeier – Ball State
1997
Don Bryant – Nebraska
Norman Gough – Mississippi College
Larry Hymel – Southeastern Louisiana
Larry Kimball – Syracuse
1996
Larry Heimburger – Western Illinois
George Wine – Iowa
1995
Bill Cable – Northeast Missouri State
Bob Kinney – Army
Bob Paul – USOC
Al Shrier – Temple
Roger Valdiserri – Notre Dame
1994
Bob Anderson – Northeast Louisiana
Marvin Francis – Atlantic Coast Conference
Larry Heimburger – Western Illinois
Jim Norman – Rhode Island
Bob Peterson – Minnesota
Russell Rice – Kentucky
1992
Bill Esposito – St. Johns
Tom Price – South Carolina
1991
Sam Goldman – San Francisco State
Ken MacDonald – Akron
Jimmie McDowell – Football Hall of Fame
Dave Young – Miami University