The Headliners Foundation and legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist present:

The Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute

Lundquist Leadership

Verne Lundquist

Nancy Lundquist

Mark Morrison, Chair

Ed Clements

Cedric Golden

Patti Ohlendorf

Sharon Schweitzer

S. Griffin Singer

Neal Spelce

Tim Taylor

Amy Villarreal

about

The Headliners Foundation and legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist have teamed up to establish an Institute in Lundquist’s name to promote excellence in Texas sports journalism. The mission of the Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute is to provide programming and support for high school and college students interested in sports media.

Since its inception in 2019, the Institute has launched programming funded by its annual Evening with Verne Lundquist event, which is held at the Headliners Club in Austin. The event features many of Verne’s friends – including celebrity sports stars and broadcast greats – and honors outstanding sports media professionals and star athletes who have made significant contributions to their communities.

“I’m thrilled to be working on this effort with the Headliners Foundation to make a lasting impact on journalism education,” said Lundquist.

The Institute awards an annual scholarship through the Headliners Foundation to an undergraduate college or university student in Texas who is preparing for a career in sports journalism. The Verne Lundquist Scholarship recipient is invited to attend the Institute’s annual fundraiser, which provides networking opportunities with industry leaders, professional sports journalists, sports media stars, and athletes.

In June 2022, the Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute sponsored the University of Texas’ first sports journalism boot camp for high school students, hosted by the UT Center for Sports Communication & Media. The camp provides students with hands-on experience in play-by-play announcing and producing live sportscasts. Campers enjoy behind-the-scenes tours of UT’s athletic facilities and conduct a mock press conference with real coaches and student athletes. Learn more.

The institute also provided a grant for a boot camp that made it possible for college students to gain real-world experience broadcasting live high school football games. “I truly enjoyed learning the ins and outs of play-by-play and production during the two-day boot camp,” said James Grant, a UT student who participated in the program. “I and the other campers were able to receive great one-on-one training in calling games, as well as an extensive overview of how game-day production works,” Grant said. Learn more.

Plans to expand the Institute’s programming are ongoing. “We want to expose Texas students to the high standards of journalism that Verne epitomizes and help them to experience the excitement of reporting and storytelling,” said Mark Morrison, former chair of the Headliners Foundation’s Board of Governors and currently serving as chair of the Lundquist Institute.

In addition, the Institute sponsors the annual Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting, an event also hosted by UTs Center for Sports Communication & Media. The fundraiser honors the best sportswriters in America in memory of Dan Jenkins, best-selling novelist and longtime contributor at Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated.

PAST LUNDQUIST INSTITUTE EVENTS

Your support makes a difference!

In 2019, the Headliners Foundation teamed up with The UT Center for Sports Communication & Media/UT Moody College of Communication to provide real-world broadcasting experience for sports journalism students. A grant from the Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute provided funding for a broadcast boot camp where students learned how to produce live sports broadcasts. Click here to read a student's account of his experience.

In June, 2022, the Institute once again partnered with the UT Center for Sports Media & Communication to sponsor its very first sports journalism camp for high school students. 25 students from across the state attended the camp, and gained hands-on experience in broadcasting and producing live sporting events, interviewing athletes and coaches, and play-by-play announcing. Students also toured UT's athletic facilities and held a mock press conference.

“So many people in the media industry, including Verne and myself, developed a strong interest in journalism in our high school years,” said Mark Morrison, chair of the Foundation's Lundquist Institute. “We wanted to help make sure that today's students get a chance to see the opportunities and excitement of an education and career in journalism.”

Campers enjoyed presentations from nine professional sports journalists, including Austin American-Statesman sports columnist and Foundation Board member Cedric Golden, CBS Austin Sports Director Bob Ballou, CBS Austin sports anchor Jeff Barker, Texas State University assistant professor Ali Forbes, freelance journalist Jessica Luther, UT students Vincent Pena and Jordan Mitchell, and more. The Keynote Speaker was Mirin Fader, a New York Times best-selling author and senior staff writer for The Ringer, an online-only sports and culture site.

Campers also enjoyed a special video message from Verne Lundquist, and a college-like experience staying in on-campus dorms. Feedback from students and faculty will be used to improve and evolve the program so future camps will provide an even more robust curriculum and a unique experience for participants.

Learn more

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Troy Aikman, FOX Sports
Marty Akins, University of Texas
John Bianco, University of Texas
Todd Blackledge, ESPN Sports
Christine Brennan, USA Today
James Brown, CBS Sports
Joe Buck, FOX Sports
Ed Clements, Radio Broadcaster
Ben Crenshaw, PGA Hall of Fame
Gary Danielson, CBS Sports

Chris Del Conte, University of Texas
Dan Dierdorf, CBS Sports
DeLoss Dodds, University of Texas
John Elway, Denver Broncos
Doug English, Detroit Lions
David Feherty, NBC Sports
Dan Fouts, CBS Sports
Ron Franklin, Sportscaster
Cedric Golden
Brian Greig, Headliners Foundation

Tom Herman, University of Texas
Lee Roy Jordan, Dallas Cowboys
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
Allie LaForce, Turner Sports
Bill Little, University of Texas
Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints
Mark Morrison, Headliners Foundation
Patti Ohlendorf
Christine Plonsky, University of Texas
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Nick Saban, University of Alabama

Scott Sayers, Coore & Crenshaw
Brad Sham, Dallas Cowboys
Shaka Smart, University of Texas
Neal Spelce, Headliners Foundation
Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys
Tim Taylor, Jackson Walker, LLP
Spencer Tillman, FOX Sports
Amy Villarreal, CBS Austin
Lesley Visser, CBS Sports
Tracy Wolfson, CBS Sports
Jay Wright, Villanova University

BIOGRAPHY

Lundquist, a longtime Headliners Club member, has been at the center of covering major sporting events from more than 50 years. He began his career at KTBC-TV in Austin, then owned by Lady Bird and President Lyndon Baines Johnson. He was also the long-time voice of the Dallas Cowboys.

Lundquist joined CBS Sports in 1982 and broadcast more than 20 sports for the network, including national and international coverage of football, basketball, Olympic figure skating, and golf. He retired from covering SEC football in 2016 and continues to cover the Master’s and other golf tournaments for the network.

Lundquist’s book, Play by Play, was published in October by HarperCollins. In an endorsement, Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban said that Lundquist “is a timeless storyteller with a unique ability to make fans feel like they are sitting right next to him watching history” and the “soundtrack for so many moments in sports history.”

“Partnering with Verne is an amazing opportunity for the Foundation to expand its role in supporting journalism education and to put a spotlight on the work of outstanding professionals,” said Mark Morrison, chair of the Foundation.

2019 EVENT RE-CAP

HIGHLIGHT BROADCASTS

FEATURED: A conversation with Verne and Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw

FEATURED: CBS's Verne Lundquist prepares to call the Masters

Last week, KLBJ's Ed Clements interviewed legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist to talk about the 2019 PGA Masters tournament at the Headliners Club in Austin, Texas.

The Headliners Foundation would like to thank KEYE CBS Austin for providing this video, as well as the Headliners Club for its assistance. This video is made available by the Headliners Foundation of Texas and The Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute.

The Headliners Foundation Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute hosted a conversation between Verne Lundquist and Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw, moderated by KLBJ Austin's Ed Clements. The program was presented by the Headliners Club of Austin on April 3, 2019, and the video is provided by KEYE CBS Austin.