IRVING, Texas (May 22, 2025) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) and Texas Tech Athletics jointly honored Brian Shannon, the University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), with a celebratory NFF Faculty Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments. The salute took place May 20 in Lubbock as part of the Texas Tech Athletics Employee Professional Development & Appreciation Day.
 
In November, the NFF announced Shannon would be honored as part of the 2024 NFF Faculty Salutes Presented by Fidelity Investments®, which highlights the significant contributions of faculty athletics representatives across the nation. As part of the initiative, each school with a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments® receives recognition for their faculty athletics representative, and a $5,000 donation per school (a total of $80,000 this year) from Fidelity is made to enhance the academic support services for student-athletes at the schools.
 
"The National Football Foundation is proud to join Fidelity Investments in honoring Brian Shannon with an NFF Faculty Salute," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "His longtime service as Texas Tech's Faculty Athletics Representative and his leadership at the conference and national levels exemplify the vital role faculty play in supporting student-athletes. Professor Shannon's impact—on campus, in the Big 12, and across the NCAA—has been significant, and we are grateful for his continued dedication to the scholar-athlete ideal."
 
The event featured remarks from Shannon, Texas Tech Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt, Fidelity Investments Vice President and Managing Director Jason Bleeker, and NFF Director of Events Courtney Archer.
 
Shannon has also been the University's NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative since 2008. In that capacity, he represents the Big 12 on the national board of the 1A FAR association, where he also served three consecutive two-year terms as president from 2012 to 2018. Shannon was a member of the NCAA Division I Council from 2015 to 2019 and is a past chair of the NCAA Division I Legislative Committee. Since 2015, Shannon has been designated as a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor—the highest faculty honor at Texas Tech.
 
In the legal field, Shannon is a nationally recognized advocate for individuals with disabilities, earning numerous honors and appointments for his work. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, he finished first in his class in 1982. Before joining the faculty at Texas Tech, he served as an attorney-advisor in the Office of the General Counsel to the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon and practiced law at the Austin office of Hughes & Luce (now part of the law firm K&L Gates).
 
Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks, who carried a 3.55 GPA as a sports management major, was a member of this year's NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. He became the sixth Red Raider player to earn the honor, joining John Scovell (1967), Keith Cockrum (1999), Kliff Kingsbury (2002), Graham Harrell (2008) and Cody Davis (2012).

Launched in 2011 by the NFF and Fidelity Investments, the NFF Faculty Salute program is an extension of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, which provide postgraduate scholarships for college football's most accomplished student-athletes. Fidelity, the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, has taken on a leadership role with the NFF Faculty Salutes as a natural extension of its ongoing support of the scholar-athlete ideal and commitment to higher education nationwide. Including this year's honorees, the salutes have recognized 198 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $990,000 in support of academic services at college and universities nationwide.