Robert W. (Bob) Burda was named assistant commissioner for communications at the Big 12 Conference July 7. Working as assistant commissioner/communications at the Mountain West Conference in Colorado Springs from 2000 to 2004, he has an extensive background in conference and collegiate athletics in a variety of areas.
The 1985 Oakland University graduate with a master’s degree in marketing communications from Florida State in 1991 provided several innovations at the Mountain West Conference after serving as assistant athletic director/communications and SID at Miami (Fla.) from 1996 to 2000 and as assistant SID at Florida State from 1991 to 1996.
His previous duties at the MWC included overseeing all communications activities and information such as news releases, press conferences, publications, the conference website, and media events. He also was a member of two committees within that conference’s governance structure and oversaw the sports of baseball and men’s tennis.
Burda was the Mountain West Conference’s primary contact for football and oversaw the entire communications’ staff as well as its webmaster.
He leads a restructured media and communications department within the Big 12 as the Conference takes over coordination of the Bowl Championship Series for the 2004 and 2005 football seasons. The native of Troy, Mich., also will serve as general media coordinator for the BCS in his new position at the Big 12 and will oversee all communications’ operations for the Conference.
“Bob has had great professional experiences and brings a solid background in collegiate sports to the Big 12,” said Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg. “We conducted an extensive national search for this position and we are delighted to have found a candidate who offers a tremendous working knowledge of conference and institutional media relations and has a proven track record in terms of building innovative services in the communications area."
Burda was associated with national football and baseball championship programs at both Miami and FSU prior to his Mountain West Conference appointment.
He was the point of contact for the Hurricanes’ football program while overseeing production of five weekly television programs during their respective seasons. At FSU he worked on a daily basis with six different sports in the highly-competitive Seminoles’ program while he gained valuable experience as an assistant in sports marketing from 1989 to 1991. He coordinated in-game promotions/entertainment in this capacity and was the contact for Florida State baseball sponsorships and promotions.