NEW ORLEANS (June 10, 2024) – The Allstate Sugar Bowl has announced the finalists for the 2023-24 James J. Corbett Awards and for the Louisiana Collegiate Coach of the Year. The Corbett Awards, which have been presented since 1967, recognize the top male and female amateur athletes in the state of Louisiana. The top college coach award has been presented since 1961. Both honors are selected by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee.
 
The Collegiate Coach winner as selected by the committee will be announced on June 28, while the female Corbett Award honoree will be announced on July 8 and the male winner will be announced on July 9.
 
In addition, fans now have the opportunity to visit the Allstate Sugar Bowl website to make their own selections for the best of the best in the state. Voting will close on Friday, June 14. The fan choices will be announced at the same time as the official committee selections.

Louisiana Sports Awards Finalists, 2023-24
Louisiana Collegiate Coach of the Year Finalists:
Kyle Blankenship, LSU Shreveport Men's & Women's Basketball
Jay Clark, LSU Gymnastics
Will Wade, McNeese State Men's Basketball
Jeff Willis, LSU-Eunice Baseball
 
Corbett Award Female Finalists:
Haleigh Bryant, LSU Gymnastics
Camryn Chatellier, Dominican Volleyball
Chloe Larry, Parkway High School Basketball/Track/Softball
Ingrid Lindblad, LSU Golf
 
Corbett Award Male Finalists:
Ethan Bates, Louisiana Tech Baseball
Harlem Berry, St. Martin's Football/Basketball/Track
Jayden Daniels, LSU Football
Shahada Wells, McNeese Basketball
 
The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee began in 1957 when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month – the honors enter their 68th year in 2021. To be eligible, an athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 29 national champions, 107 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 90-year history. The 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2025. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy in the last decade.