B.L. Elfring, who spent 42 years working in the athletic communications field at the University of Maine, UMass Lowell, and the University of Southern Maine is the 2024 recipient of the Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement.
 

The Pete Nevins Award is presented to an individual in recognition of his or her advancement of the field of athletic communications and advocacy for intercollegiate athletics. The winner must have served at least 25 years in the sports information field, and be either a current or former member of EAST-COMM. The award will be presented at the discretion of the EAST-COMM Executive Board, and only one winner can be named per year.
 

Elfring worked at his alma mater, the University of Maine, for a year after he graduated in 1979. From there he moved onto the University of Lowell (now UMass Lowell), where he served as the Sports Information Director until August, 1995, when he left to return "home" as the Sports Information Director and NCAA Director of Compliance at the University of Southern Maine until he retired in 2021. He earned numerous awards for his publications and his achievements within the profession during his iconic career.
 

As a member of ECAC-SIDA (now EAST-COMM), Elfring was recognized in 2002 as the Irving T. Marsh Award recipient. In 2013, Elfring was the recipient of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) Transitional Athletic Administrator Award in recognition of his as Southern Maine's NCAA Director of Compliance. Elfring was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2018 for his long-time service and commitment to the profession. In 2021, Elfring was honored with the CSC Lifetime Achievement Award.
 

Let's get to know 2024 award winner B.L. Elfring.
 

EC:  What does it mean to receive this award, named in honor of Pete Nevins? What are some of your memories of Pete?
 
BE:  Anytime anyone has an award named after them, it is obvious that they are an icon, and it is obvious that Pete is an icon within the profession. He is one of the best that's ever come through the profession. While I didn't know Pete very well, except for talking with him at workshops and the occasional time our teams would play, my former assistant at USM, (now the director of athletic communications) Christina Cracolici, was a GA of Pete's.
 

EC:  What made you get into the field of athletic communications, formerly known as sports information?
 
BE:  I started my career as a work-study student. I wasn't happy with my work-study job in the history department and in January of 1978 I was at an ice hockey game where I introduced myself to the SID, Bob Creteau, and asked if he could take on another work-study student. Turns out, one of this students was a baseball player and he was going to lose him once the season started so I stepped in and started working for him. When I graduated in 1979, I stayed on and worked for Bob in a combo position also doing radio production work. I learned an awful lot from Bob and moved onto UMass Lowell in 1980, where I spent 15 years. Two of my assistants at UML, Paul Sweeney (Tufts) and Bill Gorman (Wentworth). have gone on to have great careers within the profession. In the summer of 1995, I left Lowell to take a position at the University of Southern Maine, where I stayed until retiring three years ago.
 

EC:  Looking back, what were some of the top moments of your career?
 
BE:  Forty-two years of memories…to pick any singular one would be impossible. I was fortunate enough to promote five national team championships (four at UMass Lowell, one at Southern Maine) and numerous individual national championships. In fact, a young man who played on the Little League team I coached went on to win four national championships in track, which was pretty neat to witness. Of course, there were numerous All-Americans and all-conference honorees over the years. At Southern Maine, we hosted the 1998 NCAA Women's Basketball Division III Final Four and pulled it all together in four days' time. Back when I worked at Maine, we hosted a baseball regional that consisted of us, Harvard, East Carolina, and St. John's, who had a pitcher by the name of Frank Viola.
 

EC:  Over your distinguished career, what have been some of the biggest changes you've seen in the profession?
 
BE:  (laughs) I'm of an age where we used a telecopier to transmit documents. I've been able to witness a large advance in technology over the years. From fax machines to computers, to the internet, cell phones, social media, video streaming, live stats, and now, NIL's effect on college athletics. Despite all these changes, it's still all about the student-athletes, the coaches, and the programs. These tools have just helped how we do our jobs and how we promote our student-athletes and our teams.
 

EC:  What advice do you have for people who want to get into this field, or even anyone who is presently in the field?
 
BE:  Make sure you network with others. Whether it is that you are looking for a job or just looking to make connections, this is a people profession. Within your departments, make sure you have the ear of your direct report, be it your athletic director or an assistant athletic director. Let them know what you are doing and how your work should be valued by the department. Don't let them think of you as just being the person who does stats. Probably the biggest piece of advice I can give is to know how to communicate, both verbally and through the written word. Your work is a reflection on you.