Presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the media to the field of intercollegiate athletics. Voted on by the Special Awards Committee. Nominee must be a member of the media.

Jake Wade was a widely acclaimed sports journalist and national magazine contributor for Charlotte Observer for 16 years and later served as sports information director at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1946-62. A 1923 UNC graduate, Wade was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He died in 1962. 

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Jake Wade Award Recipients

2025   Craig Silver – CBS Sports
2024   Bill Raftery – CBS Sports/FOX Sports/ESPN
2023   Debbie Antonelli – Basketball Analyst / Women's Basketball HOF
2022   Dick Weiss – Blue Star Media
2021   Gus Johnson – Fox Sports
2020   Ivan Maisel – ESPN.com
2019   Holly Rowe – ESPN
2018   Jim Nantz – CBS Sports
2017   Michelle Smith McDonald – espnW, ESPN.com, San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, Bleacher Report
2016   Rece Davis – ESPN
2015   Verne Lundquist – CBS Sports, ABC Sports, Dallas Cowboy Radio
2014   Beth Mowins – ESPN
2013   Pat Coleman – D3sports.com
2012   Malcolm Moran – Penn State Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society; USA Today; New York Times; Newsday; Chicago Tribune
2011   Lee Corso – ABC/ESPN Sports
2010   Pam Ward – ESPN Sports
2009   Tim Brando – CBS Sports
2008   Billy Packer – CBS Sports
2007   Steve Scheer – CBS Sports
2006   Tony Barnhart – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2005   Mel Greenberg – Philadelphia Inquirer
2004   Bill Nichols – Cleveland Plain Dealer
2003   Christine Brennan – USA Today
2002   Robin Roberts – ESPN
2001   Dick Vitale – ESPN
2000   Bill Wallace – New York Times
1999   Dan Jenkins – Golf Digest
1998   Steve Wieberg – USA Today
1997   Ron Franklin – ESPN
1996   Bob Hammel – Bloomington Herald-Times
1995   Bob Brill – Durham Herald-Sun
1994   Jim Simpson – ESPN
1993   Sid Hartman – Minneapolis Star-Tribune
1992   Dave Anderson – New York Times
1991   Bob Hentzen – Topeka Capital-Journal
1990   Bob Monahan – Boston Globe
1989   Dick Enberg – NBC-TV
1988   John Bibb – Nashville Tennessean
1987   Rosa Gatti – ESPN
1986   Dave Campbell – Waco Tribune-Herald
1985   Kaye Kessler – Columbus Citizen-Journal
1984   Bill Jauss – Chicago Tribune
1983   Gordon White – New York Times
1982   Herschel Nissenson – Associated Press
1981   Frank Boggs – Colorado Springs Gazette
1980   Blackie Sherrod – Dallas Times-Herald
1979   Furman Bisher – Atlanta Journal
1978   Keith Jackson – ABC-TV
1977   Maury White – Des Moines Register
1976   Si Burick – Dayton Daily News
1975   Tom Woodward – Knoxville Sentinel
1974   Volney Meece – Oklahoma City Times
1973   Dick Herbert – Raleigh News-Observer
1972   John Mooney – Salt Lake City Tribune
1971   Arnie Burdick – Syracuse Herlad/Journal
1970   Ed Schneider – Chicago Today
1969   Ray Johnson – Nashville Tennessean
1968   Paul Zimmerman – Los Angeles Times
1967   Francis Wallace – New York sportswriter
1966   Fred Russell – Nashville Banner
1965   Lindsey Nelson – NBC-TV
1964   Dave Condon – Chicago Tribune
1963   Wilfred Smith – Chicago Tribune
1962   Abe Chanin – Collegiate Baseball
1961   Bill Schroeder – Helms Hall of Fame
1960   Stanley Woodward – New York Herald Tribune/Newark Star Ledger
1959   Homer F. Cooke – NCAA
1958   Bert McGrane – Des Moines Register