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Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented to individuals who have served at least 25 years in the athletics communications profession (as of July 2023) who are retiring or leaving the profession.*Years of service vetted by the Special Awards Committee.*

Tom Schott – Purdue University Director of Executive Communications (Marketing and Communications Office) formerly Purdue Senior Associate Athletic Director, Strategic Communications

Tom Schott worked for the Purdue University athletics department from 1990 to 2019, rising from a graduate intern to senior associate athletics director for communications. In 2020, Schott joined Purdue University’s marketing and communications office — first as senior director of strategic communications. He now serves as director of executive communications.

While in athletics, he successfully elevated the Purdue brand, the student-athletes and coaches of the Boilermakers on the national stage, especially in an age when information was not always easily available at the click of a button.

He has authored or co-authored four books about the Boilermakers, including 100 Things Purdue Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

A native of St. Louis, Schott has been a long time contributing writer for the Cardinals media guide, magazine, Hall of Fame induction program and website (Cardinals.com).

Schott was actively involved in CSC (formerly CoSIDA) during his career. A member of the Academic All-America® Committee, he also assisted with the (former) Publication Awards (now Creative and Digital Design Awards) and Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. Schott received a 25-Year Award from CSC in 2016. He has won numerous CSC publications awards, including three Best in the Nation honors.

Schott serves as a board member of the Joe Tiller/Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He previously received the Helping Hand Award from the Indiana Sportscasters Association, and also was awarded the Scoop Hudgins Outstanding SID Award by the All-American Football Association.

Schott also co-authored The Giants Encyclopedia, a history of the New York and San Francisco Giants franchise published in 1999, and The Giants Encyclopedia: Second Edition, published in 2003. Schott also has written for the Giants website (SFGiants.com), Atlanta Braves media guide and website (Braves.com), and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum website (BaseballHall.org).

Gallery: (6-5-2024) Tom Schott, Lifetime Achievement

Jim Vruggink, former Purdue athletic administrator / CSC Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement honoree / 1996-97 CSC President: "Tom Schott is the ultimate professional. From the day we hired him as a graduate intern more than 30 years ago, he has performed admirably in every way and represented Purdue Athletics, Purdue University and the Big Ten Conference with class and dignity. He took our sports information operation, adjusted to the times and technology challenges and took the athletics communication function to a higher level.

Recently, Tom has applied his considerable writing skills and leadership in Purdue's university administration, working closely with the Board of Trustees and President's Office. I am proud of the work he has done and continues to do for Purdue. He certainly deserves our CSC Lifetime Achievement Award."

I came to the Purdue athletics department in July 1990 on a 10-month internship—and stayed for 29 1/2 years. My heartfelt thanks to Jim Vruggink, who hired me fresh out of Ohio Wesleyan University. I worked with so many wonderful people, including Morgan Burke, Nancy Cross, Barb Kapp, Jay Cooperider and Alan Karpick. It would be a nearly impossible task to list all the amazing coaches and student-athletes whose accomplishments I was fortunate to publicize, so I won’t even try. I am honored to have crossed paths with each of them.

A few significant moments or happenings while at Purdue…

I witnessed so many unforgettable events; most notably, the 1999 NCAA Women’s Basketball championship and the 2001 Rose Bowl. More importantly, I made lifelong friendships with countless student-athletes, coaches and administrators. It truly was a labor of love, and I am ever grateful. Boiler Up!

His advice for those who are in college sports communications now:

Through the ever-changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, I believe relationships still are vitally important. This is an incredibly big enterprise, but it’s still about people and being service minded. I am often asked why I have spent my entire career at Purdue, and the answer is the people. I hope everyone in this wonderful profession can say the same thing.

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