The Sports Network was a wire service providing sports information in real time.[1] Based in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, The Sports Network was founded by Mickey Charles and especially noted for its coverage of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision in college football; it presented that group's major end-of-season awards—the Walter Payton Award for the top offensive player, the Buck Buchanan Award for the top defensive player, the Jerry Rice Award for the top freshman and the Eddie Robinson Award for the top coach.[2] It served a list of clients that included Viacom, Yahoo, and the Canadian television channel The Sports Network,[3] and was a partner with United Press International.[4]