Top collegiate websites sites announced

ACP Pacemaker competition names 44 finalists as ‘the best of the best’

Feb. 12, 2026

MINNEAPOLIS — Associated Collegiate Press has recognized 44 online news and feature sites as finalists in the Online Pacemaker competition.

The finalists will be honored and the Pacemaker winners announced during Saturday’s awards ceremony at the ACP Spring National College Media Conference,  March 5-7, 2026, in San Francisco at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero.

Starting in 2024, ACP started presenting the Online Pacemaker award in the spring.

“This shift allows the sites to be reviewed in real time during the school year and for the student editors to also be recognized in real time rather than in the fall of the next school year,” associate director Gary Lundgren said.

Early in 2026, judging teams began reviewing the sites, focusing on content posted after June 17, 2025.

For this contest, news and feature websites are accepted. The websites may be produced in conjunction with a print newspaper or magazine or a stand-alone site. In addition to reviewing the overall sites, judges paid particular attention to the URLs of three content presentations suggested by editors on the contest entry form.

The judges are now visiting the sites of the Pacemaker finalists on a regular basis before selecting the Pacemakers on March 2.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The 44 finalists represent 20 states. California set the pace with 12 finalists, followed by Texas with six. The finalists include 37 four-year and seven two-year schools.

Online sites from two-year and four-year schools competed in separate divisions. 

Within the four-year school category, websites competed against those from colleges and universities with similar enrollments.

“Today’s best online sites are platforms for rich multimedia storytelling,” Lundgren said. “Deep and diverse coverage with strong engagement and interactivity distinguish the best student-produced sites.” 

In this competition, only the online product was judged. The deadline is June 15, 2026, for Broadcast, Innovation, Magazine, Multiplatform and Newspaper/Newsmagazine Pacemaker competitions. Those finalists will be announced in September 2025 and awarded at the fall convention.

Please join us at the ACP Spring College Media Conference in San Francisco, March 5-7.

This conference provides a unique opportunity to network with industry professionals, learn from seasoned journalists, and gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of media and journalism.

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Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
Editor-in-chief: Leila Touati
Advisers: Kim Bisheff, Pat Howe

Daily Titan
California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Editor-in-chief: Jayden Lovelady
Advisers: Frank Russell, Renée Tuzee

The Collegian
California State University, Fresno
Fresno, California
Editor-in-chief: Jazmin Alvarado
Adviser: Donald Munro

The State Hornet
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Editor-in-chief: Delaney Joyce
Adviser: Fernando Gallo

The Hornet
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California
Editor-in-chief: Elycia Young
Adviser: Jessica Langlois

The Express
Las Positas College
Livermore, California
Editor-in-chief: Camille LeDuc
Advisers: Melissa Korber, Marcus Thompson II

Pierce College Roundup
Los Angeles Pierce College
Woodland Hills, California
Editor-in-chief: Daisy Aguinada
Adviser: Morgan Keith

The Los Angeles Loyolan
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-chief: Olivia Silvester
Advisers: Tom Nelson, Kevin O’Keeffe

Pepperdine Graphic
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California
Editors-in-chief: Tony Gleason, Gabrielle Salgado
Adviser: Elizabeth Smith

The Collegian
San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton, California
Editors-in-chief: Andrea Baltodano, Levi Goerzen, Zack Kirk-Newton
Advisers: Tara Cuslidge-Staiano, Matthew Wilson

The Corsair
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California
Editors-in-chief: Adriana Brady, Katie Easterson
Advisers: Gerard Burkhart, Samantha Nuñez, Sharyn Obsatz

Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-chief: Dylan Winward
Advisers: Doria Deen, Abigail Goldman

The Red & Black
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Editors-in-chief: Katie Guenthner, Allison Mawn
Adviser: Kayla Renie

The Daily Eastern News
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
Editors-in-chief: Alli Hausman, Gunnar Olson
Advisers: Greg Cooper, Tim Drachlis, Joe Gisondi

The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Editors-in-chief: Emily Lichty, Lily Ogburn
Adviser: Stacia Campbell

Ball State Daily News
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
Editor-in-chief: Meghan Braddy
Adviser: Corey Ohlenkamp

The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Editors-in-chief: Roxy Ekberg, Isabelle Foland
Adviser: Jason Brummond

The Sunflower
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
Editor-in-chief: Taliyah Winn
Adviser: Amy DeVault

Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: Giana Gallo
Advisers: Ryan Craig, Bryce McNeil, David Stephenson

College Heights Herald
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: ​​Jake McMahon
Advisers: Chuck Clark, Carrie Pratt

Talisman
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: Clarissa Dean
Advisers: Clinton Lewis, Sam Oldenburg

The Harvard Crimson
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Editors-in-chief: Matteo Diaz, Dhruv Patel

Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Editor-in-chief: Masha Smahliuk
Advisers: Regan Foster, Kathleen Simon

The Michigan Daily
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Editors-in-chief: Mary Corey, Zhane Yamin

The Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Editor-in-chief: Alexis Letang
Adviser: Charlie Weaver

Arrow
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Editor-in-chief: Lily Niebrugge
Adviser: Emmanuel Maduneme

The Ithacan
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
Editor-in-chief: Prakriti Panwar
Adviser: Casey Musarra

Washington Square News
New York University
New York City, New York
Editor-in-chief: Dharma Niles
Adviser: Russell Berman, Nancy Nealy

The Daily Orange
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Editor-in-chief: Kendall Luther

The Chronicle
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Ana Despa
Adviser: Chrissy Murray

Elon News Network
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Nia Bedard
Adviser: Kelly Furnas

The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Alli Pardue
Adviser: Will Lingo

OU Daily
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Editors-in-chief: Ana Barboza, Anusha Fathepure
Adviser: Seth Prince

The Daily Pennsylvanian
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Editor-in-chief: Emily Scolnick
Adviser: Katherine Ross

The Daily Gamecock
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Jenna Swenson
Advisers: Sydney Cranmer, Sarah Scarborough

The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Editor-in-chief: Jacob Stoebner
Adviser: Paige Clancy

Baylor Lariat
Baylor University
Waco, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Foster Nicholas
Advisers: Doug Pils, Julie Reed

The Collegian
Tarrant County College
Hurst, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Ash Petrie
Advisers: Lori Dann, Stacy Luecker, Chris Whitley

The Battalion
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Ian Curtis
Adviser: Sara Gonzales

The University Star
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Blake Leschber
Adviser: Laura Krantz

The Daily Toreador
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Jacob Lujan
Adviser: Sheri Lewis

The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Ava Saunders
Adviser: Peter Chen

The Breeze
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Editor-in-chief: Eleanor Shaw
Advisers: Brad Jenkins, Ryan Parkhurst

The Clarion
Madison Area Technical College
Madison, Wisconsin
Editor-in-chief: Sara Bernabe
Adviser: Doug Kirchberg