Brooklyn, N.Y. – Dave Saba, who spent 37 years in the media relations and communications field, was honored by the Atlantic 10 Wednesday by being named the 2024 Bob Vetrone Media Award winner. Saba, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., will be honored Wednesday night at a media timeout when the Dukes take on No. 14 Saint Louis in the second round of the 2024 A-10 Championship in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center.
The Bob Vetrone Media Award recognizes those who display professionalism, commitment and service and have made a lasting contribution to institutions and its student-athletes. The Atlantic 10 instituted the award in 2006 to honor the memory of Vetrone, who served as a sportswriter with the Big Five before moving into a sports information role at La Salle University.
Saba, who was also honored with a College Sports Communicators Lifetime (CSC) Achievement Award in January, spent parts of five decades in the athletics communications field, including a 25-year run as the longest tenured sports information director in Duquesne history from 1998 to 2023. He began his career in college athletics as an intern at the University of Texas in October of 1986 after opening his career in the media relations field in 1985 as an intern for the Philadelphia Eagle of the National Football League (NFL).
During his tenure with the Dukes, Saba served as media coordinator for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2002, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022 and also participated in the first one hosted by Pittsburgh in 1997 while sports information director with the Longhorns.
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Saba is the second media professional affiliated with Duquesne to earn the Bob Vetrone Award, joining longtime radio play-by-play broadcaster Ray Goss, who was bestowed the honor in 2009. The year Goss was honored, the Dukes made a run to the title game of the 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship.
Saba promoted seven NCAA Tournament teams (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) while at Texas and also staffed numerous bowl games prior to returning to Pittsburgh and work at Duquesne. He worked his 1,000th career basketball game when the Dukes opened the 2022-23 season with a 91-63 victory over Montana at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
Saba and his wife, Shelly, who served as Duquesne’s first women’s soccer coach, have two daughters. Sydney is in her second season with the Xavier women’s lacrosse program this spring, while Avery has committed to play ice hockey at Brown beginning in 2024-25.
For a full list of Bob Vetrone Media Award winners, please visit Atlantic10.com.
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