FWAA News from Steve Richardson News

FWAA accepting entries for the 33rd Annual Best Writing Contest sponsored by collegepressbox

Alyssa Weiszer, a senior at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Ga., was named as the 28th winner of the Volney Meece Scholarship.

Dennis Dodd mastered the art of college football story-telling from the press box. Yet when pressed to talk about those accomplishments, Dodd is quick to point out a dubious record.  "Let's see, I've been locked into three stadiums …"  Dodd announced his retirement after 27 years at CBS Sports on Thursday. Dodd will cover the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament. His last day is April 10. Dodd has covered college football for CBS Sports – formerly CBS SportsLine – since 1998.

One of the FWAA's more popular awards, the Rising Star Award, honors an up-and-coming journalist in the organization.

The Football Writers Association of America will honor Bob Holt – who died on Dec. 4, 2024 – by putting his name on our annual Lifetime Achievement Award.

Volney Meece Scholarship Applications

Cal linebacker Ron Rivera has been named the recipient of the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Legends Award and will be honored at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec.8 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Entries for the 33nd Annual FWAA ----Best Writing Contest Open

Longtime FWAA member and 2002 FWAA President Kelly Whiteside has been named the FWAA's 2025 Bert McGrane winner and will be honored at a dinner in Atlanta tonight hosted by the National Football Foundation and presented by the More Family. The event kicks off festivities leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night.

Two of the true freshman starters in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game and eight players who were members of this year’s playoff field are among the 32-man list on the 2024 Freshman All-America Team presented by Chris Doering Mortgage and awarded by the Football Writers Association of America. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, an electric wide receiver and big-play producer who has helped the Buckeyes’ surge into the national title game, and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, one of the FBS’s top pass defenders and a national stats leader among freshmen, highlight the team of this year’s top first-year players.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has been selected as the 2024 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year after leading the Hoosiers to a spot in the College Football Playoff and the most wins in program history. Indiana shot out to a program-record 10-0 start to the season and finished its regular season with other program-firsts with an 11-1 record and eight Big Ten Conference wins, finishing tied for second. The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award is presented by the Football Writers Association of America and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The 2024 Football Writers Association of America All-America Team , presented in partnership with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, has five repeat All-Americans and 16 players on teams competing in the College Football Playoff at the front of players from 40 different schools. Players from the expanded Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences make up 27, or half, of the 54-member team with nine of the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences represented plus an Independent.

Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., was named the recipient of the 79th Outland Trophy on Thursday night during The Home Depot College Football Awards. The Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. Banks is the Longhorns’ fifth Outland Trophy winner and their second consecutive awardee.

The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced nine finalists for the 2024 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Tuesday. The FWAA's National Coach of the Year will be chosen from among a list that includes three prior finalists, including one repeat finalist from last season and six who have been nominated for the first time. Seven of the nine have their teams playing in the College Football Playoff and five won conference championships this year.

As the leader of one of the FBS’ top defensive fronts with tackle numbers that place him among the country’s best at negating plays in the backfield, South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard has earned the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player from the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Kennard, one of the FBS’ top sack leaders, was honored tonight with the award here in Charlotte, N.C., at a gala banquet.

The Michigan Wolverines took advantage of turnovers, powered their ground game to success and stalled the Ohio State offense throughout its 13-10 win Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. For taking its fourth straight win over the Buckeyes in the bitter rivalry game, Michigan earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 30, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Florida Citrus Sports and Pop-Tarts have teamed up to present the Pop-Tarts ‘Crazy Good’ Play of the Week during the 2024-25 college football season, with each week's play selected in conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America. South Carolina is the winner of the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Play of the Week for Week 14.

Three finalists for the 2024 Outland Trophy – offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas, and defensive tackles Mason Graham of Michigan and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss – were announced Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Oklahoma Sooners used an overpowering running attack and some timely takeaways to upset No. 7 Alabama, 24-3, on Senior Night at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Fans rushed the field not once but twice as the Sooners won their first Southeastern Conference game at home and became bowl eligible for a 26th consecutive season to earn the Cheez-It National Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 23, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

Florida Citrus Sports and Pop-Tarts have teamed up to present the Pop-Tarts ‘Crazy Good’ Play of the Week during the 2024-25 college football season, with each week's play selected in conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America. Buffalo is the winner of the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Play of the Week for Week 13.