NCAA Announces Scholarship Honoring Legendary Sports Journalist Jim McKay

To honor
the memory of pioneering sports journalist Jim McKay, the NCAA has created a
new postgraduate scholarship in his name in the field of sports
communications.
As part
of the Jim McKay Scholarship program, one male and one female student-athlete
will be selected annually to receive a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship in
recognition of their outstanding academic achievement and potential to
contribute to the sports communications industry.
The newly
established scholarship recognizes the contributions and legacy of McKay, who
died in June 2008 at the age of 86. Best known for hosting ABC’s Wide World of
Sports for more than 40 years, he earned numerous awards and honors, including
two Emmys — one for news reporting and one for sports — for his coverage of the
Munich massacre
at the 1972 Summer Olympics. His son, Sean McManus, is president of CBS’ sports
and news divisions.
“Jim
McKay embodied the very best of sports and the very best of journalism, and we
are honored to remember and promote the highest ideals of professionalism and
integrity that he represented through the development of our new scholarship
program,” said NCAA President Myles Brand.
“My
father would have been tremendously honored to be associated with this
scholarship program which supports outstanding student-athletes,” McManus said.
“It is a great tribute to a man who always recognized the best in athletics and
always understood the unlimited opportunities in education.”
The
scholarship is open to student-athletes in all three NCAA divisions who
participate in any NCAA sport. Eligible recipients must have an overall
undergraduate grade-point average of 3.5 or better and must have competed in
intercollegiate athletics as a member of a varsity team at an NCAA member
institution.
Additionally,
nominees should also be enrolled in a graduate program or be a graduating
senior committed to enrolling in a graduate program within five years of being
named as a McKay Scholar.
Candidates
may be nominated only by the institution’s faculty athletics representative or
chief academic officer. Although there is no limit on the number of
student-athletes an institution may nominate, separate applications must be
submitted for each candidate.