College Sports Communicators

What College Sports Communicators does

College Sports Communicators (CSC), formerly CoSIDA, is a 4,700+ member nonprofit professional association founded in 1957 and headquartered in Greenwood, Indiana. It serves strategic, creative, and digital communications professionals across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada, spanning NCAA Division I (FBS and FCS), Division II, Division III, NAIA, two-year colleges, U Sports, and CCAA institutions. CSC is the sole provider of the Academic All-America® program since 1952 — a registered trademark and the longest-running premier award for combined athletic and academic excellence across collegiate sports, with over 44,000 student-athletes recognized to date.

CSC's core product portfolio centers on professional recognition and development services: the Academic All-America program, the Creative & Digital Design Contest (2,160 entries in 2024-25, up 33.5% YoY), the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest, the ChangeMaker Innovation Awards (now in its fifth year), CSC Special Awards (Hall of Fame, 30 Under 30, Lifetime Achievement), the National Championship Communicators Program, and a Scholarships & Grants Program distributing over $45,000 annually. Member benefits include the CSC U mentorship program, a Career Center with job and resume postings, monthly webinars, and the annual CSC Unite convention. The underlying technology stack includes an Awards Portal (awards.collegesportscommunicators.com) for nominations and voting, a Slack-based community (CoSIDA Connet), a Sidearm Sports-powered website, and a membership platform being replaced for the 2026-27 cycle.

The business model is membership-fee driven, with tiered annual dues ranging from $40 (undergraduate) to $1,900 (NCAA Division I FBS All-In regular rate), structured by institution type and bundled as either All-In unlimited group plans or individual rates. Auxiliary revenue streams include annual convention registration and sponsorships, plus scholarship and grant program administration. The organization is governed by an elected Executive Board of Directors with seven divisional cabinet chairs and operates as an independent nonprofit affiliated with NACDA, NCAA, NAIA, U Sports, CCAA, NJCAA, CCCAA, and NWAC.

Name

College Sports Communicators

Legal name

College Sports Communicators

Website

https://collegesportscommunicators.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

College Sports Communicators is a 4,700+ member nonprofit professional association serving strategic, creative, and digital communications professionals across intercollegiate athletics in the U.S. and Canada, best known as the sole provider of the Academic All-America® program since 1952.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Athletic Communications

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Collegiate & Scholastic Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAG)

Keywords

• Athletic communications association
• Intercollegiate sports membership
• Academic all-america program
• Sports information directors
• Collegiate athletics recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual athletic communications professionals and institutional All-In group memberships across NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions. Includes regular and early bird pricing tiers.
2. Annual Convention Revenue: Revenue generated from the annual CSC Unite convention featuring educational programming, networking, and awards ceremonies.
3. Scholarship & Grant Program Administration: CSC administers scholarship programs including Member-Child Scholarships, Undergraduate Scholarships, Graduate Internship Grants, and Postgraduate Scholarships totaling over $45,000 annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

College Sports Communicators operates as a national, membership-based professional association that serves strategic, creative, and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. It sells annual individual and institutional All-In memberships, administers the Academic All-America® recognition program (since 1952), runs multiple awards contests (Creative & Digital Design, Writing, ChangeMaker Innovation, Special Awards, National Championship), and delivers professional development, career services, mentorship, scholarships, and an annual convention.

Product overview

College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) is a 4,700+ member national association for strategic, creative, and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics. The organization operates as a membership-based professional association offering a unified portfolio of recognition programs and member services. Core programs include the Academic All-America® Program (provider since 1952) for student-athlete recognition, the CSC Awards Portal for managing award nominations and voting, Creative & Digital Design Contest and Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest for professional achievement, ChangeMaker Innovation Awards for innovative content, Scholarships & Grants Program supporting aspiring professionals, Special Awards including Hall of Fame and 30 Under 30, and National Championship Awards for championship team communicators. Member benefits include the CSC U Mentorship Program, Career Center, and year-round professional development through webinars, podcasts, and an annual convention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic All-America® Program Flagship recognition program honoring college student-athletes for combined athletic and academic excellence; administered by CSC since 1952; has recognized over 44,000 student-athletes. Cover NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions, with District and All-America team levels. To nominate and vote, members must hold an All-In or Individual membership.
• CSC Awards Portal
• Creative & Digital Design Contest Annual contest recognizing outstanding editorial and design achievement within the athletic communications profession, with categories for publications, graphics, video, photography, and portfolio awards; recognizes work by CSC members and is coordinated by the Creative & Digital Design Awards Committee.
• Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest Annual writing awards program recognizing outstanding editorial achievement in collegiate athletics communications, administered by the Fred Stabley, Sr. Writing Contest Committee.
• ChangeMaker Innovation Awards Annual award recognizing forward-thinkers in athletic communications who bring new ideas to life through special content, branding campaigns, storyteller packages, social media initiatives, digital series, and new event coverage.
• Scholarships & Grants Program Scholarship and grant program offering Member-Child Scholarships, Fred Nuesch/Dave Wohlhueter Undergraduate Scholarships, Phil Langan Graduate Internship Grants, and Langston Rogers/Wylie Smith Postgraduate Scholarship, administered by CSC.
• CSC Special Awards Annual recognition program honoring distinguished service, work, and achievement through the Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement, 25-Year Awards, 30 Under 30, and other honors.
• National Championship Awards Program Program honoring athletics communications professionals of national championship teams across all collegiate divisions including NCAA, NAIA, U Sports, CCAA, and Two-Year Colleges.
• CSC U Mentorship Program Yearlong mentorship program that connects young professionals and students with experienced athletic communications professionals to develop careers in the field.
• Career Center Job posting, resume posting, and freelance/help wanted transaction service with discounted rates for CSC members; addresses hiring and career mobility within the profession.
• CSC Unite Annual Convention Annual convention featuring educational programming specific to the athletic communications profession, networking events, awards ceremonies, and grant/scholarship opportunities for members.
• Professional Development & Continuing Education Year-round continuing education program delivered through monthly webinars, podcasts, and calls, supplementing the educational programming offered at the annual convention.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 44,000 student-athletes have been recognized as Academic All-Americans since 1952
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NCAAcoreOthersNCAA is a key stakeholder partner. CSC leadership meets with NCAA Divisions I, II, III national office staff, attends championship events and conferences on behalf of the membership. CSC is an affiliated partner with NACDA.
• NAIAcoreOthersNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics partnership. CSC provides Academic All-America program coverage for NAIA schools and represents NAIA interests in governance discussions.
• NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics)coreOthersCSC became an affiliated partner with NACDA in December 2008. CSC national staff serve as ex-officio members of the CSC Executive Board of Directors.
• U Sports (Canada)coreOthersCanadian university athletics governing body partnership. CSC provides Academic All-America program access for U Sports member institutions.
• CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association)minorOthersCanadian collegiate athletics association partnership for two-year and college-level institutions.
• NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association)coreOthersNational governing body for two-year college athletics partnership. CSC recognizes NJCAA national champions through National Championship Communicators program.
• CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association)minorOthersCalifornia community college athletics governing body partnership.
• NWAC (Northwest Athletic Conference)minorOthersNorthwest Athletic Conference partnership for two-year college athletics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CABMA (College Athletic Business Management Association): NACDA affiliate for collegiate athletics business managers and ticket operations staff; runs parallel membership, convention, and awards programs analogous to CSC's sports-information focus.
• NAIA-SIDA (NAIA Sports Information Directors Association): Sub-association of NAIA for athletic communications professionals within NAIA institutions — a sub-segment peer that operates within CSC's broader constituency and may represent either a partner or a niche competitor.
• NACMA (National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators): Affiliate of NACDA serving marketing and communications professionals in collegiate athletics. Closely mirrors CSC's member base, awards structure (Awards of Excellence), and convention model.
• NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches): Long-standing professional association for college basketball coaches with membership dues, annual convention, awards programs, and divisional structure — a directly analogous operating model to CSC.
• AFCA (American Football Coaches Association): Membership association for college football coaches with tiered institutional and individual dues, awards (e.g., All-America teams), and an annual convention — structurally nearly identical to CSC's model.
• USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association): Coaches association governing NCAA track & field and cross country with similar membership, awards, and convention structure — comparable in scale and operating model to CSC.
• NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics): The flagship professional association for collegiate athletics administrators in the U.S. NACDA is an existing affiliate partner of CSC and operates the same membership/awards/convention model — the closest structural peer to CSC.

Broad incumbents

• Learfield (Learfield IMG College): The largest U.S. collegiate sports media-rights and sponsorship company. While a commercial entity rather than a nonprofit association, Learfield overlaps significantly with CSC's stakeholder base of athletics communicators and university athletic departments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/collsportscomm
• Facebookfacebook.com/CollSportsComm
• Instagraminstagram.com/CollSportsComm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about College Sports Communicators