Standout Media Relations Professional Dave Saba to Receive Bob Vetrone Media Award – Atlantic 10

WASHINGTON — The Atlantic 10 Conference has named 37-year media relations and communications legend Dave Saba of Duquesne as its 2024 Bob Vetrone Media Award winner. Saba will be honored at the 2024 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
 
The award recognizes those whose service, professionalism and commitment have made a lasting contribution to its student-athletes and institutions. The Atlantic 10 instituted the award in 2006 to honor the memory of the late Bob Vetrone. Vetrone’s involvement in basketball covered the spectrum, first as a sportswriter, then with the Big Five, and then as assistant sports information director at La Salle.

Saba retired last fall after a 37-year career that spanned parts of five decades. He joined Duquesne athletics in August of 1998. The longest-tenured sports information director in Duquesne history and the third longest tenured A-10 SID at the time of his retirement, Saba began his career in college athletics as an intern at the University of Texas in October of 1986.
 
A Pittsburgh native, Saba has been part of all six NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship events that have been held in Pittsburgh, the first as sports information director at Texas in 1997 and the last five (2002, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022) as media coordinator while at Duquesne. He accompanied Texas to seven NCAA Tournaments as a participant (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) and staffed numerous bowl games as a Longhorn prior to returning to Pittsburgh. Duquesne’s season opener vs. Montana on Nov. 8, 2022 was Saba’s 1,000th men’s basketball game worked.

Saba is the second Duquesne-affiliated media professional to earn the Vetrone award, joining longtime radio broadcaster Ray Goss. Prior recipients for the award include: