(Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Athletics Communications)
SEGUIN, Texas -- College Sports Communicators (CSC) has named the recipients of its 30 Under 30 Class of 2024 with Texas Lutheran Sports Information Director, Bryce Hayes, being listed as one of the members of the 30 member class. The honor recognizes emerging athletics communications professionals at all levels of college sports in strategic, creative and digital spaces.
"The remarkable individuals recognized in the CSC Under 30 Class of 2024 represent a diverse and talented group of young professionals working in sports communications today," 2024-25 CSC President Kevin Trainor said. "This distinguished list of honorees features outstanding sports communicators from throughout our membership. Their innovative approach to blending traditional communications methods with content creation, social media and other emerging technologies will allow us to effectively connect with our audiences while also helping to shape the future of our organization and our profession. Congratulations to all of those included in this year's class!"
The full 2024 30 Under 30 Class can be seen here.
The recognition honors up-and-coming strategic, creative and digital athletics communications professionals throughout the CSC membership. Candidates are considered for selection based on achievement in one or more areas such as:
- Professional success
- Impact on their athletic department/conference office
- Service to CSC
Nominees must be 29 years old or younger on December 31, 2024 and a current 2024-25 CSC member.
Of a record 176 nominations submitted, this year's class includes 10 members from different levels of NCAA Division I, six Division II members, 10 Division III members, two NAIA members, one member from a Canadian institution, and one two-year college member. The average age is 27.1 years old.
Honorees in the 2024 class were chosen by a voting group composed of the Executive Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, CSC staff, leaders from all CSC committees and selected past winners.
"When you're in this role I've never thought I should be the story as the focus should be on our student-athletes, but it's a tremendous honor to represent Texas Lutheran in this capacity. Despite what it can look like on the outside, you don't do this job for credit. People love to call me 'the hardest working man on campus,' which I get a chuckle out of, but it's not about that. It's always been about the next story or the next way to support our student-athletes, student workers, and co-workers to give them the best experience possible, so sometimes it's hard to center yourself in conversations.
"Hard work has been instilled in me from day one by my parents, my late grandparents, and my support system growing up. Everyone that's ever met me knows that I try to live up to that expectation of being the hardest working person around, to a fault at times.
"I've been blessed to be put in situations to succeed from a young age on and off the field as a former student-athlete myself, and I've tried to faithfully walk the path God has set out for me. I'll be forever grateful to James Hill for pulling a football player out of the stands of a Rhodes College softball game to start my sports information and social content journey as a college freshman and for his continued mentorship as well as his successor, Danielle Donze, who granted me the creative freedom on social media as a student; and to Luke Wagner and Rodney Rogan who trusted me to control the image of their teams on social while I was a college student. I can't thank Coach Bill Miller enough for taking a chance on a kid from Memphis in the middle of the pandemic to run this department and thank you to the NCAA and the College Sports Communicators for recognizing me in this capacity and for the continued recognition after gracing me with the CSC Inclusion Grant earlier this year.
"I also want to thank everyone that played a role in this process, your kindness knows no bounds. I've been blessed with a talented group in my time in Seguin and look forward to seeing student talent like Madi Johnson, Callie Brame, Missy Muras, Ben Coulombe, Brylie Nedd, and Easton Allen earn honors like this in the future. I'm proud to represent Texas Lutheran on the national stage between this honor and the NCAA Inclusion Grant this past summer. While I am the one being honored, it's a credit to our staff for the work we've put in within our department over my tenure. Thank you once again to TLU and to CSC and I look forward to maintaining this standard that you've deemed worthy of this honor."
