Longtime ISU Sports Information Director heading into MVC Hall of Fame

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — When Tom Lamonica came to Illinois State in February 1980, he admits he didn’t know a whole lot about the university.

But he knew a lot about the Missouri Valley Conference.

“We needed to get into a conference and I thought the Valley was the right one,” said Lamonica.

Hired as the school’s sports information director, Lamonica thought he’d be sinking his teeth into basketball and football when he arrives on campus. But his first big job was helping Illinois State get into the Valley.

“There was a document that got dumped on my desk, that was eight or nine inches thick,” Lamonica explained. “A stack of documents that needed to be edited, proof read, examined. I learned a lot about Illinois State doing that job.”

ISU’s application was accepted and the university became a Missouri Valley Conference school in the summer of 1980. And Lamonica entered his long relationship with the league as well.

He was there for the last on-campus men’s basketball conference tournament, which Illinois State hosted in 1990. And Lamonica hasn’t missed any of the Valley Tournaments since they moved to St. Louis a year later.

Every March, the versatile Lamonica has a role with the MVC for the men’s and women’s conference tournaments. And then he frequently helps out at NCAA Tournament sites later in the month.

“Whether it’s credential services for media, supporting the TV people or doing games notes, writing postgame stories, helping with the interview process. I’ve had experience just about doing everything,” said Lamonica. “I enjoy the variety.”

And his experience in the classroom is something Lamonica cherishes too. For years, he’s taught public relations and sport communication classes on the campus he’s loved for four decades. And he helps communications students coordinate internships.

For his contributions, he’s going into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on March 8 during Arch Madness in St. Louis. He is this year’s recipient of the Paul Morrison Award for “contributions to a league institution, the Valley or college athletics.”

“It’s a huge honor to be a part of the MVC Hall of Fame,” Lamonica said. “You start looking at all the names and you say, Tom Lamonica?”

Yes, you can say Tom Lamonica, Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer.

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