The Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards (CWSA) were founded in 1976 as the Broderick Awards, named in honor of Tom Broderick. The program was established by Judie Holland, then Director of Women’s Athletics at UCLA and President of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), alongside Irv Grossman and Tom Broderick. Following Broderick’s passing, Holland and Grossman carried the program forward, ensuring its growth and continuity.

In 1985, American Honda Motor Co. became the program’s sponsor, and the awards entered a transition period as the Honda-Broderick Awards before becoming widely known as the Honda Awards. In 2001, the program was formally renamed the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, with Honda continuing as the title sponsor.

After the passing of Irv Grossman in 2006, Judie Holland continued to lead the organization as Executive Director. Under her leadership, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards were formally organized under California Nonprofit Corporation Law, with CWSA established as the owner and operator of the awards program.

In 2012, Honda transitioned to presenting sponsor status, and a new composite identity was introduced. From that point forward, the organization has been known as the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA), presented by Honda.

Evolution of the Celebration

Since its inception, the awards have been presented annually in a variety of distinguished settings, including banquets held in conjunction with the NCAA Annual Convention, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Annual Convention, and press conferences hosted on college campuses nationwide.

Beginning in 2012, the CWSA celebration evolved into a signature two-day event in Los Angeles, culminating in a live, nationally televised broadcast. In September 2012, Chris Voelz was appointed the second Executive Director in the history of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, ushering in a new era of growth, innovation, and national visibility.

The two-day celebration later alternated between the East and West Coasts, with events held in both Los Angeles and New York City. In June 2024, the event moved permanently to New York City and now culminates in a 90-minute live national television broadcast from a state-of-the-art CBS Sports studio.

Selection Process & Core Values

A founding principle of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards is its national, institution-driven selection process. Originally conducted by AIAW member institutions, the voting transitioned in 1982 to all NCAA member institutions and is carried out through designated Senior Woman Administrators (SWAs).

Nominations for the institutional ballot are generated through a comprehensive process that includes coaches’ associations, All-America committees, national championship results, and panels of sport-specific experts.

Recipients are selected based on criteria that extend beyond athletic excellence to include team contribution, academic achievement, leadership, community engagement, and personal character, values that align with the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics and the NCAA philosophy.

Honors Presented by CWSA

Today, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program includes the following national honors:

• The Honda Cup — Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year

• Top Three

• 12 Honda Sport Awards — honoring the top female athlete in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sport

• Division II Female Athlete of the Year

• Division III Female Athlete of the Year

• Honda Inspiration Award

• Irv Grossman Award of Merit

• Dr. Judie Holland Legacy Award