Penn State’s Jeff Nelson will receive 25-Year Award from CoSIDA July 6
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State University Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Jeff Nelson will receive the College Sports Information Director’s of America 25-year Award on Tuesday, July 6, in San Francisco, Calif.
Nelson will accept the honor at a luncheon ceremony during CoSIDA’s annual convention at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
The CoSIDA 25-Year Award is presented to sports information directors who have completed 25 years in the profession.
Nelson joined the Penn State athletic staff as the sports information director in 1993 after six years as the SID at Holy Cross College. He was promoted to assistant athletic director for communications at Penn State in 2001.
Nelson presently coordinates the Nittany Lions' communications operation for 29 varsity sports, working on a daily basis with the football program.
In addition to communications and media relations, he oversees the publications operation and GoPSUsports.com, the official Penn State Athletics website. Nelson also is one of Penn State’s primary contacts with the Big Ten Network and is involved in other television/radio initiatives for Penn State Athletics. A native of West Lafayette, Ind., Nelson graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism in 1983. After one year as a sportswriter at an Indiana newspaper, he was named assistant sports information director at Holy Cross in 1985, before his promotion to SID in 1987.
While at Holy Cross, Nelson’s 1991 football game programs were honored as "Best in the Nation" by CoSIDA, while the Crusaders' football media guide annually placed among the nation's five best publications.
Nelson has been a member of the Academic All-America Committee since 1986 and is the national coordinator for the University Division men's basketball and track and field programs. He also has served as a member of the NCAA Final Four Media Coordination Committee since 1995 and is on the Board of Visitors for Penn State's Center for Sports Journalism. Nelson and his wife, Julia, live in State College, Pa., and have three children.