Some answers to common questions about the Football Writers Association of America, its member benefits and award programs. If you don't see the answer to your question, send us an e-mail at webmaster@sportswriters.net.

About the FWAA

• Eligibility: The Football Writers Association of America is open to all accredited members of the media and members of schools and organizations directly affiliated with college football. Although we are the football writers, editors, radio and television broadcasters, publicists and even photographers are eligible to join. Please note that all applications are subject to the approval of the board of directors and the FWAA cannot guarantee that any paid dues will be refunded if your application is rejected. For new members, we encourage you to indicate if you were recommended by a colleague on your application. For questions about eligibility, contact Steve Richardson (tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198).

• Dues: Annual dues are $50 and are payable with your application. Retired members are not required to pay dues and students are eligible for reduced dues of $25. Generally, the FWAA opens its application process each year on the second Monday in April. For dues payment, the FWAA accepts major credit cards (through PayPal.com) and checks. Please do not send cash. For more information about joining the FWAA or to renew your membership, click here.

Membership in the FWAA does not grant you any accreditation nor does it promise you access or credentials to cover any event. Any and all access granted is subject to the decision of the school, conference or other governing entity of that event. If you have issues with access and/or credentials, contact Ron Higgins (rhigg@aol.com), the chair of the FWAA Ethics/Press Relations committee.

Partnering with the FWAA

• Founded in 1941, the FWAA has now grown to a record 1,200 members. With that growth, the FWAA has also been able to advance and support its member benefit and awards programs through partnerships and sponsorships above and beyond funds from membership dues. If you have interest in supporting the FWAA and any of its programs through sponsorships or partnerships, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com) or Ted Gangi (ted.gangi@sportswriters.net or 214-909-9314).

Publications

• Member Directory: The college football media "bible" is revised and edited each summer in time for the season. In order to ensure that you are included in the directory, you must pay your dues by June 25. The FWAA prints only a limited number of books and does not publish the directory online due to past abuses. The directory is generally mailed to the membership in mid- to late August. If you pay your dues after June 25, you are not guaranteed to be listed, nor can you be guaranteed to receive the directory in time for the start of the season. The FWAA does its best to ensure that all members get a copy of the directory in a timely fashion, regardless of when dues are paid. No member will receive a directory until dues are paid. For questions about the directory, its contents and distribution, contact Steve Richardson (tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198).

• The Fifth Down: The association's newsletter is produced five times per year and posted to the website. A printable .pdf version of each newsletter is available and a limited number of printed newsletters are mailed, mainly to retired members who request them. The Fifth Down generally features a column from the FWAA president and a recap of the latest news. An archive of The Fifth Down dating back to 2001 is available on the website and a significant historical archive exists with the eventual goal to include those past issues on the website. Ken Stephens is the editor of the newsletter. For questions about The Fifth Down, its contents and distribution, contact Steve Richardson (tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198).

Member Benefits

• NEW! Hilton MVP: FWAA members can get 20 percent off the best available rate at participating Hilton Worldwide properties around the country (includes Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2, Hilton Grand Vacations, Conrad and Waldorf Astoria). Also, MVP members can earn Hilton HHonors® GOLD VIP status with as little as four stays or nine total nights in 90 days, four times faster than normal! You can also choose your activation date. For complete information on how to activate and take advantage of the Hilton MVP program, visit the Member Center.

• NEW! Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership Card: All FWAA members have the opportunity to enroll for the Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership Card. This benefit was initiated to provide you with enjoyable incentives and an every day 15 percent savings when shopping for your wardrobe needs. As a Brooks Brothers Corporate Member, you will receive an every day 15 percent savings on regular price merchandise at Brooks Brothers U.S. and Canadian stores, by phone and online at BrooksBrothers.com. For complete information on how to activate the Brooks Brothers Coporate Membership Card program, visit the Member Center.

• NEW! American Airlines BusinessExtrAA: The FWAA now has a BusinessExtrAA account. The association's participation in the program will allow it to accumulate points to be used for travel by FWAA officers to sanctioned events (annual meetings, CoSIDA Convention, etc.) The member benefit will be selected discounts offered by American Airlines for air travel to major events and meetings. All you need to do is add the FWAA account number (832783) to your personal AAdvantage profile. To do that, follow these simple steps:

• Go to aa.com and login to your American Airlines AAdvantage Account
• Under the "AAdvantage" tab, click on My Account.
• Click on "Reservation Preferences."
• Scroll down to "My Business ExtrAA Information."
• Click "Edit" on the right side of the page
• Add the FWAA's six-digit BusinessExtrAA Account Number: 832783
• Make your travel arrangements as you normally would on aa.com with your personal AAdvantage account. You never need to enter the FWAA account information again. You will continue to receive all of your AAdvantage miles as you normally would.

• Hertz Corporate Discount Plan (CDP) Card: As a member of the FWAA, you are entitled to discounts offered by Hertz. To take advantage of the discounts, simply enter the FWAA's CDP code (1597431) when you make your reservation. Hertz no longer prints CDP cards, but you may download your card from the FWAA website. The card also includes codes for additional discounts. If you are a Hertz #1 Club member, you can enter the CDP code in your profile so you don't have to manually enter it each time you make a reservation. For questions about the Hertz CDP Card, contact Ted Gangi (ted.gangi@sportswriters.net or 214-909-9314).

• Media Guide Disc: For the 2009, '10 and '11 seasons, the FWAA, in partnership with collegepressbox.com and the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, produced a media guide data DVD. The disc included all available Division I FBS media guides from the 120 schools and 11 conferences. The disc also included the three key NCAA publications (Records Book, Rules Book and Statisticians' Manual). For questions about the media guide disc, contact Ted Gangi (ted.gangi@sportswriters.net or 214-909-9314).

Download a sample team preview

• Phil Steele Magazine: Since 2008, Phil Steele has extended a special offer to FWAA members. Each FWAA member receives a complimentary copy of his national preseason magazine. Again, this is a benefit that can only be guaranteed if your dues are paid by June 25. Once the magazine goes to print, copies will be mailed to active members. For questions about this benefit, contact Ted Gangi (ted.gangi@sportswriters.net or 214-909-9314).

• Blue Ribbon Football Yearbook discount: For the second straight season, the publishers of this preseason encyclopedia are offering FWAA members a 20 percent discount off the $22.95 cover price. You must place your order over the phone and be verified as a active FWAA member in good standing. Click here for complete information on the offer.

• StuffBak.com Discount: StuffBak, the leading provider of permanent identity labels, has teamed with the FWAA to offer a 10 percent online discount to members. To take advantage of this offer, all you have to do is pick out the set of labels you would like and order them directly through StuffBak.com. When you check out, simply enter the promotion code – sportswriters – in the order form of your shopping cart and you will automatically get the discounted price. For questions about this benefit, contact Ted Gangi (ted.gangi@sportswriters.net or 214-909-9314).

Award Programs

• All-America Team

• Outland Trophy

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy

• Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week

• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week

• FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award

• Grantland Rice Trophy

• Freshman All-America Team

• The 'Super 11' Awards (for SID's)

• collegepressbox.com Best Writing Contest: Each year the association conducts a best writing contest open to all active FWAA members. Generally, the contest includes five categories for stories written in the 12-month period between Feb. 1 and Jan. 31. Cash and other prizes are awarded to the winners and up to four runners-up in each category at the annual FWAA business meeting on site at the BCS National Championship Game. In 2010, collegepressbox.com will sponsor the contest. Entry rules are available on the FWAA website. For further questions about the collegepressbox.com Best Writing Contest, contact Ken Stephens (ken.stephens@sbcglobal.net).

• Bert McGrane Award: Winners of the annual Bert McGrane Award are honored in a display at the College Football Hall of Fame. The FWAA has presented its hall of fame award to one distinguished contributor since 1974. The award honors a member of the association that has made a significant contribution to the FWAA and to college football. For more information about the award, including the nomination and selection process, contact Mark Blaudschun (blauds@aol.com).

• Volney Meece Scholarship: The FWAA began awarding this scholarship in 1997. It is presented annually by the FWAA to a deserving son or daughter of an FWAA member. The four-year $1,000 annual grant is named in honor of the late Volney Meece, who served 22 years as the FWAA's executive director and was the organization's president in 1971. For more information about the Volney Meece Scholarship, including the nomination and selection process, contact Dave Sittler (davesitt@aol.com) of the Tulsa World.

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