Established: 1997
The John L. Toner Award, presented by Shaw Sports Turf, is designed to honor and acknowledge outstanding athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities, especially in the area of college football. The award is named after its first recipient, the late John L. Toner, former athletics director and football coach at the University of Connecticut and NCAA President. In recognition of John's extraordinary career and commitment to collegiate athletics and his work with The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, this annual award attempts to recognize others exhibiting similar outstanding qualities and characteristics.
Selection Process: Various individuals associated with the National Football Foundation, such as former recipients, board members and corporate leaders, send nominations and suggestions to the National Foundation. Selection of the recipient is made by the Awards Committee and ratified by the Board of Directors.
Shaw Sports Turf proudly serves as the official presenting sponsor of the NFF John L. Toner Award for excellence in athletics administration. A North American leader in synthetic turf development, Shaw Sports Turf has more than 4,000 successful installations to its name, ranging from high school to college to professional surfaces. With quality and innovation at the heart of everything we do, we're always pushing the boundaries of innovation to develop advanced surfaces to optimize athlete performance, while prioritizing safety and sustainability. Learn more at
shawsportsturf.com.
