March 4, 2008

PRINCETON, N.J. - Bucknell director of athletics and recreation John Hardt received the Gen. Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award on Monday evening at the 91st Banquet of Champions, hosted by the All-American Football Foundation at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Princeton, N.J.

Hardt and Princeton's Gary Walters both received the honor, which is named in honor of the West Point graduate and Hall of Fame head coach at the University of Tennessee. The award is given annually to college athletics leaders in recognition for their achievements and demonstrated support for the sport of football.

A former First Team All-State football player at Charles City (Iowa) Community High School and a member of the University of Iowa's 1982 Rose Bowl team, Hardt has been involved with college football his entire professional career and he has been very active in college football governance since arriving at Bucknell as athletics director in February 2000.

He recently completed a term as Chair of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) Football Committee, and he also served on the NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee. In addition, he has been the Patriot League's football liaison and been a member of the Division I FCS Eastern Advisory Committee.

One of Hardt's first major fundraising initiatives at Bucknell focused on the installation of FieldTurf and a new lighting system at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, the Bison's 13,100-seat football facility. Bucknell was the first Patriot League program to install FieldTurf, now five of the seven football-playing institutions feature the synthetic playing surface.

Beyond football, Hardt has presided over a Bucknell athletics program that has won nine of the last 10 Patriot League Presidents' Cups, led the nation in student-athlete graduation rate, and ranked among the top five nationally in Academic All-Americans.

"It was truly an honor to be recognized by the All-American Football Foundation, and I appreciate all that the organization contributes to the sport of football," said Hardt. "This award reflects Bucknell's commitment to fostering well-rounded student-athletes who excel in all walks of life. The Bison football program has produced countless alumni who have parlayed their Bucknell gridiron experience into successful careers in many different fields, and this award is dedicated to them."