• 2016 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
by Larry Scott, Minnesota State University Moorhead (retired)/CoSIDA Special Awards Committee member
After 14 years as women's sports information director,
Jeff Schwartz was named director of athletic media relations at North Dakota State University in September 2004 and senior associate director of athletic communications in July 2015. He handles communications for NDSU's Bison Athletic Hall of Fame, volleyball, wrestling and softball programs and coordinates special awards and projects for the athletic department.
Schwartz guided the now-Athletic Communications office through the transition from Division II to Division I starting in the 2002-03 academic year. He researched and developed a strategic plan that included the expansion of the staff, including the multi-media coordinator position, and upgrading all facets of media services at every NDSU sport venue.
Starting in the mid-1990s, Schwartz was on the ground floor on the development and design of what is now
GoBison.com. The original web site started on the University server before moving into the 21st century with several web-based companies local and national over the past two decades.
Schwartz was the recipient of the inaugural American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) Grant Burger Media Award in
Schwartz with former NDSU coaches Kristi Kropp (T&F) and Tim Moser (volleyball).
October 1997. He earned the 1997-98 North Central Conference Honor Award and was inducted into the Mount Vernon Nazarene University Cougar Wall of Fame in 2007.
Working with the student-athletes has been the highlight of Schwartz's 35-year sports information career. He has had the opportunity to work with three Division II Honda Female Athlete of the Year Award winners, six AFCA Good Works® Team members and 50 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections to mention a few.
He was the media coordinator for four NCAA Division II women's basketball national championship tournaments (including the first three Elite Eights) and one NCAA Division II indoor track and field championship, along with numerous NCAA regional, Summit League and North Central Conference tournaments.
At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Schwartz worked as the interview room supervisor at the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah,
Schwartz through the years with his children, daughter Lainey and son Chris.
Schwartz through the years with his children, daughter Lainey and son Chris.one of two men’s and women’s ice hockey venues. He also volunteered at the 1995 NCAA Division I women's basketball Final Four in Minneapolis and the 1994 NCAA Division I men's volleyball national championship tournament in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Schwartz has earned 44 CoSIDA publication and design awards, including 11 "Best in the Nation" honors, and six CoSIDA national writing awards. Three of NDSU's women's basketball game programs have been judged "Best in the Nation," including the 2003-04 edition of the publication.
A member of CoSIDA since 1981, Schwartz has served on the Academic All-America® committee as a district coordinator since 2000 and was named the committee's award vice-chairman for publicity in July 2013. He also has served on the organization’s former Charity committee, and also had stints on the Ethics, Membership, Writing Contest and Publication Awards committees. Schwartz also served on the NCAA Statistics and Records Advisory Board.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Schwartz is a 1981 graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene College. He and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children, Chris and Lainey.
Prior to his service at North Dakota State, Schwartz worked at Mount Vernon Nazarene from 1981-88 as the coordinator of information services/sports information, and as the assistant sports editor for the Mount Vernon News in 1988-89.