Note: This is the 21st article in the CoSIDA Special Awards feature series which is highlighting all 2013 Special Award recipients. All recipients will be honored at the
CoSIDA Convention (June 12-15) in conjunction with the NACDA and Affiliates Convention at Orlando's Marriott World Center.
See the full list of recipients and features schedule.
by Tammy Boclair, Alday Communications, Inc./former CoSIDA President
CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
In Rick Nixon’s case, timing isn’t everything. He also has benefited from the first rule of real estate – location, location, location – in a career as a sports information director that now covers 25 years.
Witness his entry into the field, when those two factors came together and served as a springboard for the diverse and distinguished career has followed – and continues.
“I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, as UTSA (University of Texas-San Antonio) was looking for someone who already had relationships with the local media,” noted Nixon, who now serves as an NCAA Associate Director, Championships and Alliances.
Nixon has been involved in CoSIDA throughout his career attending more than 20 conventions and was also instrumental in landing the 2009 CoSIDA Workshop in San Antonio.
He will be honored for his 25 years of service June 14 during the Special Awards Luncheon at the CoSIDA Convention in Orlando, Fla.
“I have been fortunate to be involved with CoSIDA throughout my career, attending numerous workshops and working for a time to get the convention to come to San Antonio,” he said. “I am very honored to receive the CoSIDA 25-Year Award to commemorate my time spent in the profession.
“I am very thankful to all of those I have worked with over the past 25 years as well as to all of those I have met along the way.”
Nixon took his time before he joined the profession.
He graduated from Trinity University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, broadcasting and film. Rather than pursuing a job as a sports broadcaster, he started his professional career as a copywriter for Accent Advertising Agency in San Antonio. With a freelance portfolio that included working for UPI and AP covering the San Antonio Spurs, boxing matches, golf tournaments, car races and other large sporting events, Nixon was establishing relationships with various media members throughout the San Antonio market.
Thus, when UTSA was looking for its next sports information director in 1987, he was the obvious choice.
Nixon spent nearly 20 years at UTSA starting as sports information director in a one-man shop with 14 sports, and was later promoted to assistant athletic director for media relations. He also served as play-by-play announcer for UTSA men's and women's basketball and baseball radio and television broadcasts.
It was the perfect location to set up the next step in his career.
With UTSA as the host institution for many NCAA Division I championship events, Nixon served as local media coordinator for the 1998 and 2004 Men's Final Four, 2002 Women's Final Four and men's basketball regional championships in 1997, 2001 and 2003 at San Antonio's Alamodome.
In 2006, he was named NCAA associate director of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, coordinating media relations for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and Women’s Final Four.
In the last two years, Nixon was given the added responsibility of managing media relations for eight NCAA championships, including the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
“My work with the various NCAA championship events in San Antonio eventually led to my current position with the NCAA as I was able to meet and work with many individuals from the association,” he said.
Nixon also served as a press officer for the United States Olympic Committee, staffing the Summer World University Games in Daegu, South Korea (2003 swimming) and Izmir, Turkey (2005-men’s basketball).
"To be successful, every organization needs someone like Rick,” said Mark Lewis, NCAA Executive Vice President, Championships and Alliances. “He brings a passion and energy to work that infects those around him. Rick does a great job day in and day out, and you know everything he does will be high quality. It's nice to see him be recognized by his peers for a job and a career well done."
Nixon and his wife, Cathy, have been married for 27 years and have two adult sons, Christopher and Michael.
“From a very young age, I had an ambition to work in sports journalism,” Nixon said. “My father was a sports writer and later the sports information director at St. Mary’s University and Trinity University, and that is where I developed an early interest in the sports information profession.
“I am blessed to have a family that is so understanding of the job demands. Without their support, it would have been very difficult to manage. I have tried to include my family in the adventure so that we can experience the journey together.”