Tyler Price
Assistant Director of Athletics - Communications, Baker University
NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors
by Chevonne Mansfield, American Athletic Conference Director of Communications
CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week Committee member
Tyler Price started his career in television as an associate sports producer, but his path changed after a chance
encounter at Kansas State University during his undergraduate years in the Little Apple, Manhattan (Kansas).
The Overland Park, Kansas native majored in broadcast journalism at K-State and spent his first two years working at a television station in Kansas City. All that changed during Tyler's junior year of college when he saw a flyer to work in the Wildcats' athletics department. He became one of 14 athletic media relations student workers for the Wildcats and worked under Associate AD for Communications Kenny Lannou.
Tyler became the primary contact for equestrian as a student assistant and hosted the Big 12 conference championship during his time in Manhattan. After graduating in 2008, he moved on to the NAIA national office for a sports information internship. He joined Park University shortly after that as assistant sports information director.
Tyler spent two years at Park, and joined Baker University in 2012 as Assistant Athletics Director of Communications where he is the media liaison for Bakers' 20 sports.
"I went to Baker to run my own office and be closer to home," Tyler said when asked about his career move in 2012. He is just 35 miles from his home town and closer to his parents and siblings in Overland Park.
Price has greatly enhanced the athletic communications and outreach efforts at Baker and his work has not gone unnoticed.
He has been awarded 12 NAIA-SIDA "Top 10 in the Nation awards" for his publications, including a first-place finish in the 2014 NAIA-SIDA in-house website contest for his work with Baker's official athletics site
www.bakerwildcats.com which recognized the site as the top NAIA athletics website in the nation in that category.
During the 2015-16 academic year, Baker's social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram were singled out by the NAIA-SIDA group as two of the NAIA's top 10 accounts in growth/followers gained.
Tyler is also involved with the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors and is in his third after being elected to the board in 2014. Tyler got his start with NAIA-SIDA by serving as the liaison to the NAIA New Media Committee, which led to a board position.
"Aaron Sagraves (current CoSIDA Board of Directors member from Cornerstone) was instrumental during my first year on the board," Tyler said when asked about his involvement with NAIA-SIDA. "He reached out and helped me during my first year as he transitioned to a VP role."
Tyler works closely with Barb Kowal and Will Roleson, CoSIDA staff, on the monthly continuing education webinar
series hosted by the NAIA-SIDA. He coordinates these video webinars that are not just NAIA focused, but have appeal to members across the CoSIDA organization.
In addition to his work at Baker and in NAIA-SIDA, Price has extended his professional duties in the sports of basketball and men's volleyball.
He serves as the publicist for Small College Basketball, running the organization's website. For the seventh consecutive year, he is the NAIA's men's volleyball SID, working with all 32 institutions which sponsor men's volleyball. He monitors the sports' website, coordinates the NAIA men's volleyball national player of the week honors, the sports' national Top 10 poll, and is the on-site media coordinator at the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Championship.
His work with men's volleyball led to Price being honored as the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NAIA Men's Volleyball SID of the Year.
Price started out in the NCAA, but he is enjoying his time in the NAIA. He is now in his fifth year in the league.
"I've had great experiences in the NAIA, and I see myself being here for a long time." Price noted.