Introducing the Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship: Supporting the Next Generation of Sports Journalists

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club is pleased to announce the launch of the Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship, a $5,000 annual award supporting undergraduate college students who demonstrate excellence and promise in sports journalism.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan and his family have established the scholarship to honor Rich Passan, a longtime print and broadcast journalist who spent 41 years at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. Although his work spanned all sports, he was best known for his Passin' the Puck hockey column and his musings on the Cleveland Browns, about whom he wrote until the months preceding his passing in May 2024.

"Rich was a connoisseur of great writing, and he would be thrilled to play a small part in helping the next generation of sportswriters," said Debbie Passan, his wife of 47 years. "He believed in the power of journalism, and the goal of this scholarship is to find others as passionate about it as he was."

The Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship will be awarded for the first time in spring 2026 and is open to rising college juniors and seniors who demonstrate excellent sportswriting skills and a strong interest in a sports journalism career. Applicants will be asked to submit several samples of their sports writing, along with a short essay and resume. While there is no GPA requirement, students must submit a current transcript that shows they are in good academic standing.

"There is no better job in the world than writing about sports," said Jeff Passan, a two-time National Sportswriter of the Year. "I saw it with my father. I've lived it myself. And I can't wait to read all of the great work from the young writers who love the craft as much as my dad did."

Applications for the 2026 scholarship are now open here and will close on March 1, 2026. The first recipient will be announced in early May 2026, with funds to be disbursed for the 2026–27 academic year.

"We're honored that the Passan family has chosen the National Press Club as the home for this scholarship honoring Rich Passan, whose lifelong dedication to sports journalism connected generations of readers and listeners," said Mike Balsamo, president of the National Press Club. "This scholarship invests in the next generation of sports writers who, like Mr. Passan, will carry forward his legacy of excellence and storytelling that informs and inspires."

If you'd like to contribute to the Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship, you can do so using this link.

With the addition of the Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship, the National Press Club now offers six opportunities among its scholarship portfolio. Applications for all National Press Club scholarship applications are now open. Club scholarships are administered by its nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute.

About Rich Passan  

Rich Passan, a fixture in the Cleveland sports scene whose work in The Plain Dealer and on local radio stations spanned more than four decades, died May 4 after a short battle with brain cancer. He was 85.

Long distinguished for his rich baritone voice and unwavering opinions on all things Cleveland sports — particularly the Browns — Passan spent 41 years at the newspaper and dozens more at WWWE and WKNR radio. His work spanned all sports, though he was best known for his Passin' the Puck column, which delivered the latest hockey news, and his musings on the Cleveland Browns, about whom he wrote until the months preceding his passing.

After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Passan returned to Cleveland and in November 1963 was hired as a copy boy at The Plain Dealer, paving the path to tell the stories of sports figures local and international.

Passan showed genuine care for the subjects he covered. He hunted for small nuggets of information that would inform readers and listeners -- no surprise, considering his attention to detail manifested itself in manifold ways. Passan's knowledge of athletes' heights and weights was encyclopedic, his love of the English language evident through careful, precise pronunciation, a mastery of word puzzles and a closetful of cheesy, pun-filled shirts. He took no quarter editing the elementary school papers of his son and daughter -- who became a writer and an editor, respectively – using a red pen and leaving a crime scene of notes.

Upon his retirement in 2004, Passan and his wife, Debbie, moved to Goodyear, Arizona. For nearly a decade, he served as the public address voice for the Indians and Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. He wrote about the Browns for the Orange and Brown Report and later ran a blog that teemed with institutional and cultural knowledge.

Passan is survived by his wife of 47 years, Debbie; son, Jeff (Sara) Passan; daughter, Nicole (Aaron) Atlas; and grandchildren Jack Passan, Luke Passan, Leo Atlas and Bronwen Atlas.

About the National Press Club
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists.

About the National Press Club Journalism Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

Press Contact: Beth Francesco, NPCJI executive director, [email protected]

SOURCE National Press Club