MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 22, 2016 - University of St. Thomas sports information director Gene McGivern has promoted six NCAA championship teams in his time with the Tommies. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s longest-tenured SID, in his 28th year in the league, will received the Sid Hartman Media Award in recognition of his work. The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will present the award at the 9th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on April 17 at the Hilton Minneapolis.

McGivern is in his 22nd year at St. Thomas, where he arrived after six years coaching cross country and serving as the SID at Augsburg College. He oversees Tommisports.com and handles media relations for the Tommies’ 22 varsity teams. In addition to seven championship teams, McGivern has helped with coverage of five national runners-up and more than a dozen individual and relay champions. He has worked at two Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowls and 15 NCAA home playoff games in the last seven years alone. McGivern has promoted 15 national coach of the year accolades and successfully nominated 79 College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) Academic All-America honors.

CoSIDA has recognized McGivern for his feature writing with two Best in the Nation awards and six Best in District awards in the Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest. He contributes to St. Thomas Magazine and pens “Gene’s Blog” on Tommiesports.com. McGivern has also written two biographies, on former college basketball coach Johnny Orr and then-Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green.

McGivern’s past professional experience includes 20 years as a freelance sports writer in the Twin Cities and stints as a daily newspaper sports editor in Ames, Iowa and Alliance, Neb. The Davenport, Iowa, native graduated in 1981 from Iowa State University, where he was an All-Big Eight runner and captain of the track and field and cross country teams. McGivern resides in Eagan with his wife, Barbara, and their three children.

The 9th Annual Minnesota Football Honors event is presented by the Minnesota Vikings. College and professional football Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to attend, and WCCO-TV news personality Frank Vascellaro will return for his ninth year as Master of Ceremonies. The event is open to the public. To register or for additional information about this year’s Minnesota Football Honors, please visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com. For sponsorship information, please email lindsay@nffmn.org.

About the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation
The Minnesota Chapter of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive spirit and academic excellence in Minnesota’s young people. The MN Chapter recognizes legendary football icons, college football Hall of Famers and Minnesota’s top high school and college football scholar athletes. For more information, visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com, Facebook or Twitter.

Contact:
Lindsay Lommel, Event Manager
MN Chapter of The National Football Foundation
lindsay@nffmn.org