Wake Forest Alum Erin Regan Wins Pat Tillman Award at ESPYS

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Erin Regan, a former women’s soccer standout at Wake Forest University, is set to receive the prestigious Pat Tillman Award for Service during The 2025 ESPYS on July 16, 2025. The award honors individuals who, connected to sports, have demonstrated a commitment to service and selflessness.

Regan has been recognized for her efforts with Girls' Fire Camp, a program designed to inspire and prepare young women for careers in firefighting and emergency services. As a former goalkeeper for the Wake Forest women’s soccer team from 1998 to 2002, she had a record-setting career and has since transitioned her passion for leadership into the firefighting community.

The camp, co-founded by Regan in 2015, provides girls with hands-on training and mentorship from female firefighters. The initiative aims to counteract the gender imbalance in the firefighting profession, which remains predominantly male.

Wake Forest women’s soccer head coach Tony da Luz praised Regan’s contributions on and off the field. “Erin was a key piece of my first full recruiting class at Wake Forest. She had every attribute a top-level ACC goalkeeper needed: size, strength, range, great reactions, fearlessness, and leadership,” he said.

Regan, who leads her program with 347 career saves, is also known for her advocacy for women in non-traditional roles. After graduating, she played professionally with the Washington Spirit before joining the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 2008. “I am so proud of all she has accomplished; she is a true example of Pro Humanitate and deserves the Pat Tillman Award for Service,” da Luz added.

The ESPYS will air live from the Dolby Theatre at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and will also be available to stream on ESPN+ and on-demand the following day on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN.