Virtual "State Awards" Show to Appear on ESPN+

(Courtesy -- Athletic Media Relations)

JONESBORO, Ark. – Set to appear on ESPN+ Saturday, May 9, at 5:00 p.m., the Arkansas State Athletics Department’s annual “State Awards” banquet will be a virtual event for the first time in school history this year.

The State Awards, which was held for the first time in 2013, will transition this year only from the historically formal banquet to a television program celebrating the Red Wolves’ academic success, athletic achievements and community service during 2019-20.

The show will appear in the ESPN App under the “Replay” section at 5:00 p.m. CT tomorrow.  The airing will then remain available in Video on Demand, and can be accessed at any time after the initial air time with a quick “State Awards” search.

While ideally the banquet’s intent is to bring all A-State student-athletes together in person to honor their teams and teammates, the Red Wolves will still have the opportunity to interact with one another in a virtual setting and watch a preview of the show Friday evening.

The show, hosted by A-State radio play-by-play announcer Matt Stolz and featuring Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Terry Mohajir, will still have a strong student-athlete presence with multiple highlight videos and recorded speaking appearances included.

“We’re excited Arkansas State’s athletics accomplishments will be recognized and, as a result of the current conditions, we’ll be bringing the State Awards to a larger audience and showcasing our programs and honoring our outstanding student-athletes on ESPN+,” said Mohajir.

As in the past, A-State will announce its major award winners from the most recent year.  Among the honors that will be presented are the Terry Gwin Award, Scott and Kay Dawson Award and Dr. Tim and Terri Langford Award.  Multiple other awards will be announced as well.

Chosen by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as the Arkansas State “Coach of the Year,” head football coach Blake Anderson will also have a speaking appearance in the show.

While A-State’s seniors for each sport are traditionally issued their senior rings at the State Awards, this year’s show on ESPN+ will still include a senior-ring segment complete with some special messages from some of the A-State student-athletes.

A subscription to ESPN+ is available for purchase via the ESPN App and ESPN+ Website (plus.espn.com), and fans can only access ESPN+ content after they have subscribed.  After subscribing, if fans need further assistance, visit online articles on Watching ESPN+ (help.espnplus.com), with additional setup instructions across all supported devices.

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