University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Football Communications Staff Earns Super 11 Award For Second Straight Year
April 15, 2026 | Football
DALLAS – For the second consecutive year, Tennessee football's strategic communications team was recognized on the Super 11 Awards, presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the best performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
The Volunteers joined Clemson, Iowa, Kansas, Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, San Jose State, South Carolina, Texas Tech and West Virginia as honorees for the 2025 season. Tennessee was recognized for the fourth time in the 17-year existence of the award.
The football strategic communications staff is led by Senior Associate Athletics Director Bill Martin and includes Associate Director Sean Barows and Assistant Directors Forest Jersey and Shane Switzer. The group was also recognized for the 2024 season.
This year's winners were deemed to have had excellent accessibility during the week of their games and after the game with a program's players, coaches and coordinators/assistant coaches. Other criteria regarding beat reporter access, interview requests, and decorum and protocols in the press box and locker room are listed in the FWAA Directory.
FWAA members provided input during the season when press boxes were judged on how well they were run and maintained in terms of neutrality, pool reporters, noise level and accessibility to the press box that could affect a media person's ability to do his or her job.
"We once again honor some programs who have provided great assistance to writers for many years and have demonstrated a culture of excellence in what they do in their pressbox and in terms of accessibility to players and coaches," said FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson. "We applaud those programs as well as the newcomer program. These are the best of the best of several communications staff we honor. There are others which are excellent and some on the cusp of making Super 11 next year perhaps. We have a number of hard-working communications staff who make our jobs easier. We appreciate that on an annual basis."
In January of 2009, the FWAA released the first Super 11 Awards – a concept supported by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). The FWAA has now awarded at least one Super 11 Award to 83 different FBS programs.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and game-day operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual FWAA All-America Team.Â
The Volunteers joined Clemson, Iowa, Kansas, Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, San Jose State, South Carolina, Texas Tech and West Virginia as honorees for the 2025 season. Tennessee was recognized for the fourth time in the 17-year existence of the award.
The football strategic communications staff is led by Senior Associate Athletics Director Bill Martin and includes Associate Director Sean Barows and Assistant Directors Forest Jersey and Shane Switzer. The group was also recognized for the 2024 season.
This year's winners were deemed to have had excellent accessibility during the week of their games and after the game with a program's players, coaches and coordinators/assistant coaches. Other criteria regarding beat reporter access, interview requests, and decorum and protocols in the press box and locker room are listed in the FWAA Directory.
FWAA members provided input during the season when press boxes were judged on how well they were run and maintained in terms of neutrality, pool reporters, noise level and accessibility to the press box that could affect a media person's ability to do his or her job.
"We once again honor some programs who have provided great assistance to writers for many years and have demonstrated a culture of excellence in what they do in their pressbox and in terms of accessibility to players and coaches," said FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson. "We applaud those programs as well as the newcomer program. These are the best of the best of several communications staff we honor. There are others which are excellent and some on the cusp of making Super 11 next year perhaps. We have a number of hard-working communications staff who make our jobs easier. We appreciate that on an annual basis."
In January of 2009, the FWAA released the first Super 11 Awards – a concept supported by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). The FWAA has now awarded at least one Super 11 Award to 83 different FBS programs.
Â
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and game-day operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual FWAA All-America Team.Â
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