On February 26th, the Foundation will honor legendary sports broadcaster Verne Lundquist with a memorable evening of stories from the sidelines. Underwriting opportunities for An Evening with Verne Lundquist are now available by clicking here.

Foundation and Verne Lundquist Plan Sports Journalism Initiative

The Headliners Foundation and legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist are teaming up to establish an Institute in Lundquist’s name to promote excellence in Texas sports journalism.

The Verne Lundquist Institute for Sports Media will be launched with a fundraising dinner February 26th at the Headliners Club that will feature many of Verne’s friends, including celebrity sports stars and broadcast greats.

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

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.

Plans for the Institute include support of scholarships and sports journalism camps for high school and college students, as well as online instruction and how-to seminars. “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 Morrison.

Beyond the inaugural fundraising dinner on February 26, the Foundation envisions an annual Lundquist event that will honor outstanding sports media professionals and star athletes who have made significant contributions to their communities.