Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech repeats as FWAA Super 11 Award recipients
April 09, 2026 | Football
Texas Tech was recognized for the second time in as many years and the third time in the award’s history Thursday
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Athletics Communications office was honored Thursday by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) as one of its 2025 Super 11 Award recipients. The Super 11 Award is presented annually to the best-performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
This is the second-consecutive season Texas Tech has been recognized by the FWAA as one of its Super 11 recipients and the third time since the award was founded in 2009. Texas Tech was joined by Clemson, Iowa, Kansas, Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, San Jose State, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia as part of the 2025 Super 11 class.
"It is an honor for Texas Tech to be recognized among the nation's best by the FWAA," said Robert Giovannetti, Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations and Strategic Communications. "The Texas Tech brand has never been stronger or more popular. Our communications staff, with the help of our creative services and broadcasting teams as well as many in our department, play a huge role in telling our story and building our narrative as one of college football's newest national contenders."
The FWAA selects its winners based on a criteria that takes into account excellent accessibility during the week of a game and after a game with a program's players, coaches, coordinators and assistant coaches. Other criteria regarding beat reporter access, interview requests, and decorum and protocols in the press box and locker room are listed in the 2025-26 FWAA Directory.
Texas Tech's football communications staff is led by associate athletics director Matt Dowdy, director of communications Matt Burkholder and associate director of communications Chris Duarte. Together, they work with head coach Joey McGuire, his coaching staff and student-athletes and the department's in-house creative services and broadcasting units to promote the Red Raiders through traditional media outlets, the Big 12's television partners in FOX, ESPN and TNT and through Texas Tech's own social media and digital channels.
The Red Raiders were one of the most-compelling stories of the 2025 football season as outlets from across the country descended on Texas Tech throughout its run to its first Big 12 Conference title and College Football Playoff appearance. Texas Tech was prominently featured throughout the season on national platforms such as SportsCenter, College Gameday, Big Noon Kickoff, and digital outlets like the Josh Pate Show, Bussin' With the Boys, The Athletic, ESPN.com, Dave Campbell's Texas Football and CBS Sports, among others.
Jacob Rodriguez's rise to Heisman contender and the winner of nearly every national defensive award was highlighted by not only these outlets but Texas Tech's own social media channels. The Red Raider football program, through its communications and creative services teams, generated more than 290 million impressions and a roughly $10 million social value over the course of the 2025 season, which ranked among the nation's best in total exposure.
In January of 2009, the FWAA released the first Super 11 Awards – a concept supported by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). The FWAA has now awarded at least one Super 11 Award to 83 FBS different programs. Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and game-day operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual FWAA All-America Team.
