LEXINGTON, Va. — Washington and Lee University's Matt Eaker has been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 30 Under 30 Class of 2025, a national honor recognizing rising professionals who are making a significant impact in strategic, creative, and digital athletics communications across all levels of college sports.
Now in his third year at W&L, Eaker serves as the Assistant Director of Athletics Communications, where he is the primary contact for football, volleyball, women's basketball, track & field, men's golf, and baseball. In addition to leading coverage for these programs, he supports statistical and game operations, and digital content initiatives for the university's full slate of 24 varsity sports.
Eaker has helped elevate W&L's communications strategy through innovation and leadership. He implemented department-wide tracking of social media and website analytics. He also oversees the development of video and graphic board content, enhancing the fan experience at home football and women's basketball events. Known across campus, Eaker has built strong relationships with coaches, student-athletes, and colleagues alike—helping position W&L Athletics as a leader in small-college sports storytelling.
"Matt is an outstanding young professional and communications expert," said W&L's Michael F. Walsh Director of Athletics and Physical Education, Jan Hathorn. "He is reliable, responsible, hardworking, and mature for his age. The quality of his work underscores his commitment to the job as well as how much he cares about showcasing the accomplishments of our student-athletes, our department, and the university. Matt has excellent preparation and execution in how he runs a contest and reports on it. There is no question Matt understands the impact his work has on our students and the university and he takes it seriously. We are better in all respects because of how Matt represents himself and W&L. We're lucky to have someone of his caliber on our team."
At the national level, Eaker is a highly active and respected member of College Sports Communicators (CSC). He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Career Services Committee, is a National Review Team member for Academic All-America selections in women's volleyball and men's at-large, and is a coordinator and judge for the CSC Creative and Digital Design Contest. In 2024, his writing earned District 3 honors in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest, including first place for event coverage and second place for season preview writing.
"I'm deeply honored to be recognized among such an exceptional group of young professionals as part of the CSC 30 Under 30 Award," Eaker said. "I feel incredibly fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues and student-athletes who make my role so rewarding and fulfilling. This profession is unique in that the people are really what make it great, from the students to those you cross paths working with. I want to express my gratitude to Clark Teuscher for introducing me to this profession and for being an incredible mentor during my time at North Central. I'd also like to thank Sydney Anderson and my colleagues at Washington and Lee for their constant support and encouragement."
A native of Schaumburg, Illinois, Eaker earned both his B.A. in Sport Management and M.A. in Sports Leadership from North Central College.
Eaker's professional foundation was built during his time in undergrad as a D3 student-athlete and as a graduate assistant at North Central College, where he was the primary contact for five sports, hosted opening rounds of the 2022 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, and coordinated the 2023 NCWWC Region IV Women's Wrestling Championship. He also contributed on-site coverage for multiple NCAA championship events in football, wrestling, soccer, and lacrosse.
That high-level experience continued at W&L, where Eaker played key roles in hosting the inaugural Cape Charles Bowl in 2023, the 2025 ODAC Wrestling Championships, and the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament games ever hosted at W&L. He also contributed to NCAA postseason coverage for men's soccer (Final Four – 2023), women's volleyball (Elite Eight – 2024), and men's golf (4th-place finish – 2025). He was a member of the statistical operations team for the 2023 Stagg Bowl, providing real-time data for the ESPNU broadcast.
"Matt's recognition is incredibly well deserved," said Sydney Anderson, Director of Athletics Communications. "He has a sharp eye for detail, a strategic mindset, and the kind of steady presence that elevates every project he's part of. From daily operations to championship moments, Matt brings his best—every time. He's made W&L better, and I'm thrilled to see his work acknowledged at the national level."
Of a record 183 nominations submitted, this year's class includes ten members from different levels of NCAA Division I, five Division II members, nine Division III members, three NAIA members, two members from a Canadian institution, and one two-year college member.
Honorees in the 2025 class were chosen by a voting group composed of the Executive Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, CSC staff, leaders from all CSC committees and selected past winners.For more information about College Sport Communicators 30 Under 30 award and the Class of 2025, visit
www.CollegeSportCommunicators.com
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
