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Charlie Fiss (Cotton Bowl Athletic Association), CoSIDA Hall of Fame
by Bud Ford, University of Tennessee, retired
Ford retired in 2011 after a 46-year career at Tennessee. A member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame (2011), Ford was honored with the Arch Ward Award in 2006.
 

Charlie Fiss—The Wizard Behind the Cotton Bowl Media Relations Curtain
The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association’s mission is to create the most innovative of all college football bowl games and be the leader in creating premier college sports experiences. And, when it comes to bowl game media operations, there’s one man who has led the charge and developed a reputation unparalleled in the industry for creating the best experience for media.

Charlie Fiss, as Cotton Bowl Vice President of Communications, has consistently set the bar for bowl media operations dating back to his first Classic with Heisman winner Doug Flutie in 1985.

"For more than three decades, Charlie has been a pillar with his steadfast approach to his profession and making the Cotton Bowl media operations the best in the bowl industry," Rick Baker, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association President/CEO said. "What makes Charlie successful is that he continually strives to improve, and our organization and the college football industry as a whole are better for it. No one is more deserving of this CoSIDA Hall of Fame honor."

Charlie got his start working at the University of Arkansas, his alma mater. He left his home state and moved to North Texas in 1984 to work for the Southwest Conference. At the time, the Southwest Conference and Cotton Bowl shared resources. That’s when Charlie’s work with the Classic began and still continues to this day. He was formally hired away from the SWC in 1994 to work full-time for the Classic.

This will be Charlie’s 34th year as the “quarterback” of the media relations team that includes so many wonderful volunteers that Charlie calls his family or “Charlie’s Angels”.

 

"Charlie runs a model press operations at the Cotton Bowl. For years the Cotton Bowl has been an example of how it should be done” stated Steve Richardson, Executive Director of the FWAA. “Charlie puts together a bowl operations staff that is second to none. I think most people in the profession, whether it be writers, sports information directors or other bowl executives know that, but it also needs to be said.”

The Cotton Bowl Classic offers a high quality level of service along with Charlie’s obsession to sweating the details. Scott Cain, former reporter for the Arkansas Gazette-Democrat, recants the following story:

“Leading up to Y2K, everyone assumed the world would be fine when we woke up that morning, but there was still some unknown about how technology and communications might be affected,” Cain said. “The Cotton Bowl was to be played on Jan. 1, 2000. No way was Charlie taking any chances on showing up at the stadium that morning and being caught off guard if there was a problem, so he stayed in the press box all night before the game. I don't know that he slept much. That's called sweating the details."

"It's a cliché, but in Charlie's case, it's absolutely true ... hard work, dedication and strong relationships are the secret to his success," noted Michael Konradi, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chief Marketing Officer. "Between his annual work at the Kentucky Derby, the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament and other college games around the country, Charlie has amassed so many friends in the industry and an army of volunteers from around the country that come in every year to help make the Cotton Bowl media operations successful."

In January, Charlie was honored with the Bert McGrane Award which is presented annually to a member of the Football Writers Association of America to recognize distinguished service to the organization and college football.

At the presentation, Steve Richardson said that Charlie represented the heart and soul of the FWAA for several decades in his devotion to putting together and mailing the FWAA printed directory to the membership each year. “He has always been a champion of the FWAA in terms of what is provided during his bowl-week access to players and coaches and maintaining strict standards of decorum in the press box itself,” Richardson concluded.

His SID colleagues also concur.
 
“Charlie’s passion for our profession is undeniable,” said Scottie Rodgers, Tulane Associate AD for Strategic Communications. “His ability to be a friend to the media and yet be firm in managing a first-class media operation is skillful. His effect on people in and around college athletics is legendary. It's my pleasure to call him a friend for more than 20 years and now call him a CoSIDA Hall of Famer." 
 
As for me, it’s easy to write a story about Charlie Fiss. Just talk to a few folks and you will get a world of accolades. My first contact with the Cotton Bowl was in 1969 when Tennessee played Texas and the late great former TCU and SMU SID Hoss Brock was running the show. He set the bar on media hospitality and service. Charlie has raised that bar to new heights during his tenure. I have been fortunate to be a part of the Vol staff and teams that made additional trips to Dallas in 1990, 2001 and 2005. I can assure you that from Tennessee’s stand point and that of our media there is not a finer bowl experience.

I have seen a new side of Charlie the past four years since my retirement and becoming a member of the Cotton Bowl Media Coordination team of “Charlie’s Angels.”

It was that recent association plus my almost 30-year friendship that endeared me to nominate Charlie for the CoSIDA Hall of Fame. It’s obvious that others in the CoSIDA family shared that same opinion with his selection.







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