May 12, 2016
DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University Athletics Communication Office has earned a prestigious Super 11 Award for 2015 from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the organization announced Thursday. The honor recognizes the best 11 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information departments in the nation during the 2015 season.
NIU, the only Mid-American Conference sports information (now often known as media relations or athletics communications) office on the Super 11 list for 2015, previously was honored as a Super 11 office for its work during the 2011 season. The FWAA first selected the Super 11 sports information offices in 2009.
“We are absolutely thrilled to earn this recognition as a Super 11 office from the FWAA for the second time,” said Donna Turner, Associate Athletics Director for Communications. “Our staff – Joe Summins, Jeremy Reid, Matt Scheerer, R.J. Sepich and I, along with a great crew of student assistants – works extremely hard behind-the-scenes on a daily basis to serve all of our sports programs, and to assist the media in their coverage of NIU Athletics. Thanks go to the Huskie football student-athletes and coaches, our athletics administration, NIU photographer Scott Walstrom and the NIU Video Production staff for their cooperation and contributions to our success.”
Criteria employed in determining the Super 11 winners not only included how press boxes and media operations were operated, but also the quality and timeliness of information provided. Also judged was the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, and personal responsiveness to media inquiries as well as the accessibility of a program's players, coaches and assistant coaches. The ratings also considered those departments that went the extra mile in servicing the media.
Since the FWAA's inception in 1941, one of the organization's primary tasks has been to provide better working conditions for writers across the nation. Over the years, the FWAA has awarded press box commendations to deserving schools, as well as conduct ratings of sports information departments.
"We look at this as one of the most important things that we do as an organization, honoring the very best SID staffs in the nation." said Tim Griffin, the FWAA's 2010 President and the Super 11 Committee chairman. "There are many great SID staffs around the country who are willing to work hard to help all media members. These 11 departments we are honoring are consistently exemplary above and beyond the call of duty. We hope this award will help to showcase them."
The Super 11 Committee received input from other FWAA members and others who covered college football during a period from Feb. 1, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016.
In addition to NIU, Clemson (ACC), Houston (American), Kansas State (Big 12), Louisiana (Sun Belt), Indiana (Big Ten), Mississippi State (SEC), Pittsburgh (ACC), USC (Pac-12), Utah State (Mountain West) and Western Kentucky (Conference USA) were chosen as Super 11 departments for 2015.
In the seven-year history of the award, the FWAA has honored 49 different schools.
"The FWAA takes seriously the relationships between reporters and sports information officials, and these 11 SIDs stand out because of their hard work and professionalism," said 2016 FWAA President Mark Anderson. "The fight for access is critical to our FWAA members, so it's especially important to recognize the work by these SIDs who represent their schools and help reporters do their jobs. They are the best of the best and set a high standard for others to achieve."
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