University Field Crops Pathology Extension programs in the Midwest annually monitor for field crop diseases to provide timely and effective information in the event of a disease threat to crop production. These programs were uniquely situated to provide a rapid response to the tar spot epidemic of corn in 2018. The team used a combination of social media, blogs, websites, and newsletters to engage and interact with farmers, industry, and crop consultants. This interaction led to a large number of sample submissions to diagnostic clinics and the development of distribution maps to chart epidemic progress. This interaction continued into the off-season with the development of a tar spot fact sheet released through the Crop Protection Network (CPN). Furthermore, Extension specialists have given over 100 presentations to over 10,000 people about tar spot that included information on symptomology, epidemiology and potential management strategies. These included presentations to crop management workshops, state Certified Crop Advisor conferences, winter county Extension meetings, and agribusiness gatherings. Videos and webinars on tar spot and how to manage it in future seasons have also been outputs of this successful Extension group.