Colorado University Athletics
Six To Be Awarded Prestigious Honorary C Award
October 02, 2025 | General, Alumni C Club, Buff Club
Newest members to be recognized on Oct. 11 at Iowa State football game
BOULDER — There will be six new additions to the University of Colorado's list of "Honorary C" recipients, a prestigious honor afforded those who have been dedicated to intercollegiate athletics.
The Honorary C has been presented almost annually for the last 70 years to a person or persons for their dedication, service and/or contributions to University of Colorado Athletics, usually for a minimum commitment of 10 years.
"The Honorary C program is one of our most important annual engagements," CU athletic director Rick George said. "Through the years it has been a very special honor for those in all walks of life who have demonstrated passionate support in any number of ways for the athletic department, and in particular the student-athletes."
George received an Honorary C in 2016, while Alumni C Club executive director Kimbirly Orr was also a recipient in 2022; she understands the significance and recognition that comes with the honor.
"It is not lost on me as to what giving back is," she said. "It's not necessarily a monetary gift, but service to CU Boulder, whether you are an alum or not, is invaluable. Many are or were longtime employees, or others in the community that stepped up in a variety of ways to donate their time, energy and/or finances to help the student-athletes or department as a whole."
The recipients are selected by representatives from both the athletic department staff and the Alumni C-Club Board. Here are the six joining the previous 302 awardees (including three CU Boulder graduates):
Eric Belcher & Jason Weiss. These devoted graduates, donors and season ticket holders, despite being 28 years apart in their graduation dates from CU Boulder, have been instrumental in the philanthropic support and success of CU athletics – not to mention creative. They are the co-founders of the 5430 Foundation: as soon as Coach Prime was hired, Eric (class of '79) jumped into action, creating the foundation a month after Sanders was named head coach. Jason (class of '07) dove into the legal, accounting and organizational structure for the Foundation, which was up and running just a few months later. At that point, the duo began assembling a group of donors to help the cause, and with the launch of a website, donations started rolling in that immediately became an invaluable resource for Colorado Football. Eric was instrumental in 5430's inclusion in The Collective Association, a trade association consisting of 21 NIL entities, and played a pivotal role in the creation of the 5430 Alliance. Jason, who as a undergrad was also one of the founders of the C-Unit that supports the basketball programs, lives in Southern California and travels to Colorado several times a year to attend games and participate in other functions; he continues to be an active member of the Buff Club Flatirons Society. This dedicated duo played a significant role in securing student-athletes in football recruiting, with our recent success not possible without their support.
Jeff Crawford. Jeff (class of '90) and his family are longtime donors who created and funded the Crawford Family WHOLE Student-Athlete Program (Wellness Health Optimal Life Experience) which encompasses how everyone in CU Athletics work together on behalf of all student-athletes to provide unparalleled integrated care and services in many important areas. Jeff is one of the most loyal donors historically to Athletics and he and his family have donated to several significant projects including the UC Health Champions Center, in which the dining area for the students was named the Crawford Club in the family's honor. The area also serves as a state-of-the-art separate club area on game days.
Jason Green. The associate head coach for CU's women's soccer program, he is the longest-tenured assistant in the program's 30-year history as he joined the Colorado staff when Danny Sanchez was named the program's head coach in 2011. His 14 seasons on the staff – his 11th as the associate head coach in which he was promoted to in 2015, ranks among the longest stretches as an assistant in all sports in CU history. His passion for all things CU, especially with the program's alumni, has led him to turn down opportunities for himself to be a head coach elsewhere, as he is also very active as a volunteer with several community organizations.
Stephanie Van De Creek. As the assistant director of ticketing with the CU Athletic Ticket Office, she first joined the department in February 2012 after nearly five years at Kansas State. Popular with her colleagues, the student-athletes, coaches and staff, her calmness and solutions when dealing with fans stands out in one of the more challenging professions in the sports world. She has consistently done a tremendous of working within her unit as well as sharing her best practices philosophies with her peers both in the conference and nationally.
LaTonya Watson. The associate director of the Herbst Academic Center, she is in her third "tour of duty" with the CU athletic department, returning to the university of May 9, 2022. She spent her first 12 years in Boulder as an assistant coach for the legendary Ceal Barry (1996-97 through 2004-05 seasons) and then on Linda Lappe's staff (2011-12 through 2013-14), working as an assistant for the player she once had coached under Barry. During her 15 years at CU, she has coached, advised, mentored, and supported hundreds of student-athletes, guiding them through her expectations for each by providing life skills, advice, resources and tools, and showing compassion in those times when they are struggling. She has been a bright, positive presence in the lives of everyone she comes in contact with, students and staff alike.
All will be honored at halftime of the CU-Iowa State football game on Saturday, October 11 (kickoff has been set for 1:30 p.m.). The Honorary C program was the idea of then-athletic director Harry Carlson in 1955, when the inaugural class consisted of 15 honorees, including all head coaches at the time: Dal Ward (football), Frank Potts (track and field), H.B. Lee (basketball), Frank Prentup (baseball), Tom Jacobs (skiing), Charles Vavra (gymnastics) and Roland Balch (swimming). Including the six in this year's class, a total of 308 Buff supporters across several spectrums will have been awarded the distinguished honor.
The Honorary C has been presented almost annually for the last 70 years to a person or persons for their dedication, service and/or contributions to University of Colorado Athletics, usually for a minimum commitment of 10 years.
"The Honorary C program is one of our most important annual engagements," CU athletic director Rick George said. "Through the years it has been a very special honor for those in all walks of life who have demonstrated passionate support in any number of ways for the athletic department, and in particular the student-athletes."
George received an Honorary C in 2016, while Alumni C Club executive director Kimbirly Orr was also a recipient in 2022; she understands the significance and recognition that comes with the honor.
"It is not lost on me as to what giving back is," she said. "It's not necessarily a monetary gift, but service to CU Boulder, whether you are an alum or not, is invaluable. Many are or were longtime employees, or others in the community that stepped up in a variety of ways to donate their time, energy and/or finances to help the student-athletes or department as a whole."
The recipients are selected by representatives from both the athletic department staff and the Alumni C-Club Board. Here are the six joining the previous 302 awardees (including three CU Boulder graduates):
Eric Belcher & Jason Weiss. These devoted graduates, donors and season ticket holders, despite being 28 years apart in their graduation dates from CU Boulder, have been instrumental in the philanthropic support and success of CU athletics – not to mention creative. They are the co-founders of the 5430 Foundation: as soon as Coach Prime was hired, Eric (class of '79) jumped into action, creating the foundation a month after Sanders was named head coach. Jason (class of '07) dove into the legal, accounting and organizational structure for the Foundation, which was up and running just a few months later. At that point, the duo began assembling a group of donors to help the cause, and with the launch of a website, donations started rolling in that immediately became an invaluable resource for Colorado Football. Eric was instrumental in 5430's inclusion in The Collective Association, a trade association consisting of 21 NIL entities, and played a pivotal role in the creation of the 5430 Alliance. Jason, who as a undergrad was also one of the founders of the C-Unit that supports the basketball programs, lives in Southern California and travels to Colorado several times a year to attend games and participate in other functions; he continues to be an active member of the Buff Club Flatirons Society. This dedicated duo played a significant role in securing student-athletes in football recruiting, with our recent success not possible without their support.
Jeff Crawford. Jeff (class of '90) and his family are longtime donors who created and funded the Crawford Family WHOLE Student-Athlete Program (Wellness Health Optimal Life Experience) which encompasses how everyone in CU Athletics work together on behalf of all student-athletes to provide unparalleled integrated care and services in many important areas. Jeff is one of the most loyal donors historically to Athletics and he and his family have donated to several significant projects including the UC Health Champions Center, in which the dining area for the students was named the Crawford Club in the family's honor. The area also serves as a state-of-the-art separate club area on game days.
Jason Green. The associate head coach for CU's women's soccer program, he is the longest-tenured assistant in the program's 30-year history as he joined the Colorado staff when Danny Sanchez was named the program's head coach in 2011. His 14 seasons on the staff – his 11th as the associate head coach in which he was promoted to in 2015, ranks among the longest stretches as an assistant in all sports in CU history. His passion for all things CU, especially with the program's alumni, has led him to turn down opportunities for himself to be a head coach elsewhere, as he is also very active as a volunteer with several community organizations.
Stephanie Van De Creek. As the assistant director of ticketing with the CU Athletic Ticket Office, she first joined the department in February 2012 after nearly five years at Kansas State. Popular with her colleagues, the student-athletes, coaches and staff, her calmness and solutions when dealing with fans stands out in one of the more challenging professions in the sports world. She has consistently done a tremendous of working within her unit as well as sharing her best practices philosophies with her peers both in the conference and nationally.
LaTonya Watson. The associate director of the Herbst Academic Center, she is in her third "tour of duty" with the CU athletic department, returning to the university of May 9, 2022. She spent her first 12 years in Boulder as an assistant coach for the legendary Ceal Barry (1996-97 through 2004-05 seasons) and then on Linda Lappe's staff (2011-12 through 2013-14), working as an assistant for the player she once had coached under Barry. During her 15 years at CU, she has coached, advised, mentored, and supported hundreds of student-athletes, guiding them through her expectations for each by providing life skills, advice, resources and tools, and showing compassion in those times when they are struggling. She has been a bright, positive presence in the lives of everyone she comes in contact with, students and staff alike.
All will be honored at halftime of the CU-Iowa State football game on Saturday, October 11 (kickoff has been set for 1:30 p.m.). The Honorary C program was the idea of then-athletic director Harry Carlson in 1955, when the inaugural class consisted of 15 honorees, including all head coaches at the time: Dal Ward (football), Frank Potts (track and field), H.B. Lee (basketball), Frank Prentup (baseball), Tom Jacobs (skiing), Charles Vavra (gymnastics) and Roland Balch (swimming). Including the six in this year's class, a total of 308 Buff supporters across several spectrums will have been awarded the distinguished honor.
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