The Football Writer's Association of American (FWAA) has named West Virginia's football communications department as a recipient of it's 2024 Super 11 Award, handed out annually since 2009 to the the top Division 1 FBS College Sports Communications Departments. It is the third time WVU has earned the award in the past five years.
The award winners are selected based on criteria that include a program's accessibility during game week and the post-game process when it comes to coaches and players, press box and locker room decorum, adequate access for beat reporters, and accommodation of interview requests.
"Access is required to write the best examples of story-telling in our business," said 2025 FWAA President Bill Bender. "These departments set a standard with a friendly working relationship in an era where access is in some ways more difficult to come by. That professionalism helps create an environment where we can tell those behind-the-scenes stories about their players and coaches. We are grateful to these 11 schools for promoting that model."
The Mountaineers' communications department is led by Assistant Athletic Director for Football Communications Mike Montoro and Executive Senior Associate Director of Athletic Communications Michael Fragale -- both men have been involved in handling the program's communications with the press since 2007.
"We are proud to have received this recognition for the third time in the past five years," Montoro said. "A lot of people need to be included in this honor and distinction, including the Mountaineer coaching staff and the student-athletes. It takes a lot of people doing their job efficiently for everything to be done the right way. Credit also needs to be given to the WVU Athletics external team, which does an outstanding job as well."
West Virginia is one of two Big 12 programs to receive the ward for the 2024 seaon, with Texas Tech also earning the honor.