BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The College Sports Communicators announced the 2025 Special Awards on Wednesday (Jan. 8), including Bowling Green State University's Mike Cihon earning the CSC Achievement Award for the University Division. Serving as Associate Director for Strategic Communications, Cihon is currently in his 29th year in the athletic communications office.   

Voted upon by the CSC Special Awards Committee, the CSC Achievement Awards are presented annually to one University Division member and one College Division member who have made outstanding contributions to the field of athletic communications and provided exceptional service to their institution, conference or other intercollegiate athletics affiliated association. A nominee must have 10 or more years of experience in the athletic communications field and must not have served in the lead role overseeing an athletic communications office. 

"I am thrilled to receive this award from CSC," said Cihon. "I have had the pleasure of working with nearly all of the previous University Division Achievement Award winners at some point in my career – including last year's winner, BGSU alum Heather Brown – and to be included on a list with these exceptional people is truly an honor."

A 1990 BGSU graduate, Cihon returned to his alma mater in 1996, first serving as an assistant director in the office before being promoted to associate director in the summer of 2021. He currently serves as the primary communications contact for men's soccer, women's soccer, women's basketball and softball. He also served two years as the assistant director of communications at the Mid-American Conference office in Toledo. While there, he also served a two-month stint as interim director of communications.

With the Falcons, Cihon has worked with the women's basketball program for 27 of his first 28 years, including the 2006-07 season when the program advanced to the 'Sweet 16' of the NCAA Championships. He spent the 2007-08 academic year as the interim director of athletic communications, and served as the men's basketball contact that season, before returning to women's basketball duties in 2008-09. Cihon has also been instrumental in the expansion of the BGSU athletic record books, most notably his work within the soccer programs. His expertise in the historical archives of Bowling Green have earned him a spot as the communication department's representative within the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame committee, handling all sports information responsibilities within the Hall of Fame. 

"We are thrilled that Mike Cihon has been recognized by CSC as the University Division Achievement Award recipient for 2025," said Assistant AD for Strategic Communications Vincent Briedis. "Mike has been an invaluable member of the Bowling Green Athletics Department for nearly 30 years. During his tenure as a PR professional, he has made an impact on all of our intercollegiate sports teams at one time or another. His historical knowledge of Bowling Green State University and our athletics department is an invaluable asset as we work daily to promote the momentum of our University. This is a well-deserved honor for someone who is highly respected by his peers across the country."

A native of North Canton, Ohio, Cihon received his bachelor's degree in communications from BGSU in 1990, and earned a master's degree in sport administration from Kent State University in 1993. He spent two years as a graduate assistant in the KSU sports information office, and also was an intern at Michigan State University, where he was the primary contact for legendary coach, and BGSU Hall-of-Famer, Ron Mason's Spartan hockey program during the 1993-94 academic year.