June 27, 2005
The Rev. Edward A. Malloy, CSC, who will retire as president of the University of Notre Dame on June 30, 2005, was honored earlier this spring with the NCAA Leadership Advisory Board’s Flying Wedge Award.
The Flying Wedge is symbolic of the historic origin of the NCAA in 1906. A life-size sculpture is the signature piece found in the NCAA Hall of Champions. A reproduction of The Flying Wedge is awarded as one of the NCAA’s highest honors exemplifying outstanding leadership and service to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There have been only nine previous recipients of the award chosen by the Leadership Advisory Board.
NCAA President Myles Brand presented the award to Father Malloy on April 1 in St. Louis, Mo. The award honored Father Malloy for his years of service to Notre Dame, the NCAA, the NCAA Foundation and its later incarnation, the NCAA Leadership Advisory Board.
Father Malloy was first appointed to the NCAA Foundation board in 1989 and was re-appointed to the Leadership Advisory Board when the foundation became defunct. He served on the Leadership Advisory Board until 2003. Father Malloy played a key role in the NCAA’s governance structure and currently chairs the NCAA Sports Wagering Task Force. His involvement in the anti-sports wagering movement came long before the task force was convened – he was part of a group of Division I coaches, administrators and presidents who in 2001 met with members of Congress to express support that would have extended a ban on legal sports wagering on college athletics in all states.
As a former varsity basketball player at Notre Dame, Father Malloy also has received the National Association of Basketball Coaches Balfour Silver Anniversary Award for his civic leadership and service.
The Flying Wedge award is given infrequently by the Leadership Advisory Board, though other NCAA groups have bestowed it on deserving individuals. Those named Flying Wedge Award recipients by the Leadership Advisory Board:
U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney
Thomas Curley, president and CEO of the Associated Press
Stevie and Karl Eller, chair and CEO of the Eller Company
James Morris, executive director of the United Nations World Food Program
Edwin Lupberger, president of Nesher Investments, LLC
Marion B. Peavy Sr., vice-president of development and college relations at Wofford College and executive director emeritus of the NCAA Foundation
George Steinbrenner III, principal owner of the New York Yankees
Randall Tobias, U.S. ambassador and Global AIDS coordinator