BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 10, 2021

Val Ackerman

Press Conference

COMMISSIONER ACKERMAN: As many of you know in part as a tribute to our good friend, Jim O' Connell, former AP national college basketball writer, among many other incredible accomplishments, and in recognition of the important role of the press corps in the college basketball world, we've reinstated the Big East Media Award which is now presented annually to a print or electronic media representative for significant contributions in their coverage of college basketball and the Big East Conference.

I'm very happy to announce that this year's winner of the Big East Media Award is Bill Reynolds, retired sports columnist of the Providence Journal. Bill, who was a stand-out player himself at Brown University, began his sportswriting career when the Big East was just getting off the ground in 1979.

For the first few years of the conference's existence, the Big East published a regular newsletter called the Big East News. Bill wrote stories for the newsletter about this new league that was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He then moved on to the Journal and spent his entire sports writing career there.

Bill also wrote several books on basketball including "Big Hoops" a chronicle of the Big East's first 10 years of existence. Jim was a supreme basketball writer who provided incredible and thoughtful insights into the game and the people in it.

Fittingly, he was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame last year. Bill was unfortunately unable to join us today, and so we've asked Kevin McNamara, his long-time colleague at the Journal, to deliver a plaque to him that says as follows: "Big East Media Award for distinguished contributions to college basketball. Bill Reynolds, Providence Journal."

Bill, sorry you couldn't be here with us today. Thank you so much for all you've done for our league and for college basketball. Congratulations to you and our heartfelt wishes are with you and your family.