Tom Davis, Iowa coach, and Indiana's Bob Knight joke before an Iowa City game, Jan. 18, 1990. Iowa SID George Wine looks on. Indiana won, 83-79. (The Gazette).

Long-time former University of Iowa sports information director George Wine died early Thursday morning. Wine was 81.

Wine served as Iowa’s SID from 1968 through retiring in 1993. He remained active in university events through his death. He continued to write a blog on the athletics’ web site every week last fall and wrote several entries on wrestling and basketball in the spring. He served as a Harris Poll voter last fall to help determine the BCS championship match-up.

Wine was a North English native and lived in Coralville. He is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame and previously served as the organization’s president. Iowa’s National Varsity Club Hall of Fame and the Kinnick Stadium Media Wall of Fame. Wine was an Iowa graduate and was the second sports information director in Iowa athletics history.

George Wine, former sports information director at Iowa and the co-author of Hayden Fry's book " A High Porch Picnic," addresses the crowd March 10, 1999 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. (The Gazette)

Wine also worked for seven years at the University of Northern Iowa and five at Memphis State University. He authored Hayden Fry’s biography called “A High Porch Picnic.” He worked with coaches Dan Gable, Ralph Miller, Lute Olson, George Raveling, Tom Davis, Norm Stewart, Moe Iba and Fry among many others over the years.

Arrangements are pending.