MANSFIELD – Steve McCloskey, retired MU Director of Athletic Operations and Information and 1991 Mansfield graduate, will serve as speaker at Mansfield University’s rescheduled commencement ceremonies on Saturday, August 8 at Karl Van Norman Field.
The commencement was originally scheduled for May 2, but was postponed to a later date due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you want an example of the passion and determination that Mansfield instills in each of us, look no further than Steve McCloskey,” explained Dr. Charles Patterson, President of Mansfield University. “Steve has dedicated most of his life to making our university and the community a better place for everyone, and we’re thrilled that he can share that passion with the class of 2020.”
McCloskey was named Mansfield’s first full-time sports information director in 1988 and became one of the most decorated athletic communications professionals in the industry before his retirement in 2017.
He was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 2016 and honored with CoSIDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award the following year. McCloskey received several CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. writing awards and he and his staff won numerous publication and design contests, including best in the nation for the 1992 football game program cover.
McCloskey served as President of the Eastern College Athletic Conference – Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA) for the 1998-99 term and was honored with three of the organization’s most prestigious awards. He received the ECAC-SIDA Irving T. Marsh Award for exhibited excellence in 2003, the Bob Kenworthy Award for contributions to the organization in 2010, and the Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2016. Under McCloskey’s tutelage, Mansfield University students Jon Holtz (2007) and Chris Boswell (2012) received ECAC-SIDA’s Bill Esposito Award, presented annually to the membership’s most outstanding graduating senior.
He was instrumental in the establishment of Mansfield’s sprint football program, a story that was featured in a front-page article of the Wall Street Journal as well as a feature story in NCAA Champion Magazine. McCloskey was named Mansfield University Employee of the Year in 2009 and cited as Student Life’s Service Award recipient in 2014.
Among his greatest accomplishments is McCloskey’s ability to mold young sports information professionals. More than 25 former student-assistants have gone into the sports information profession at all levels including the NFL, ESPN and NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
In 2017, the Steve McCloskey Service Award was established to honor a student or students who embody the Mansfield University spirit and provide exemplary service to the athletic department. Six students have received the McCloskey Service Award since its inception.
In retirement, McCloskey serves on the Mansfield Borough Council and is chair of the Finance Committee. He also is a board member for the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce, the Mansfield History Center, and the Mansfield United Fund.
McCloskey and his wife Pam, a 1990 graduate of Mansfield University, are the parents of Katey Grace and Zach, a current student at MU.
The small, on-campus ceremonies will follow all health guidelines set by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the State System of Higher Education, and the federal government. Limited tickets will be issued so the total number of participants and event staff fall under the 250-person maximum for a green county in Pennsylvania’s phased reopening plan. Social distancing of at least six feet and face coverings are required.
Both ceremonies will be live streamed free of charge at mansfield.edu.
More information, registration instructions, and an academic regalia order form can be found at mansfield.edu/commencement. The deadline to register for participation in an August Commencement ceremony and to reserve guest tickets is July 31.