College Sports Information Directors of America

Editor's Note: A week ago, Jayson announced on Twitter (@JaysonHajdu) that he will be concluding his tenure at his alma mater UND at the end of the semester. His wife Amanda, the current Senior Associate AD and SWA at North Dakota, has accepted a new position in Kansas City and he and their family will be relocating to join her.

Hajdu wrote: "My association with UND Athletics has been the ride of a lifetime and an absolute privilege ... For the last 15 years Amanda and I have been together, everything has been about me, and my job, and my travel, while she so wonderfully held our family and home together... now, it's her turn."


Jayson Hajdu is in his 17th year on the athletic communications staff at North Dakota, spending the last 10 overseeing the department as the director. As Senior Assistant Athletics Director of Communications, Hajdu serves as the primary communications contact for the Fighting Hawks men's hockey, track & field and cross country programs. He has been part of the UND's NCAA championship hockey program which has captured numerous NCAA titles, the last coming at the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four championship.

The Regina, Saskatchewan native is a 2000 North Dakota graduate, receiving his bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in history. He has been highly successful during his career in the publications realm of the athletic communications business, winning 22 CoSIDA Publications & Digital Design awards, including seven "Best in the Nation" honors. In June of 2008, Hajdu was one of UND's 11 recipients of the North Central Conference Legacy Award. At noted above, his time at UND will come to a close at the end of the semester as his wife, Stephanie, the SWA at North Dakota, has accepted a new position in Kansas City.

What got you interested in pursuing the athletic communications profession as a career?
I initially had planned to go to journalism school at my hometown university to become a sportswriter. Then one day in grade 11, I received a call from my cousin, who was the softball coach at the University of North Dakota, indicating she might be able to hook me up with a sports information internship at UND that provided a tuition waiver. I had never heard of 'sports information' but the more she told me about it, it seemed like a perfect fit for me. It almost seemed too good to be true. I decided on the spot that was the path I wanted to take.

Early on in your career, you were a part of a rebranding and mascot name and logo change from the Fighting Sioux to Fighting Hawks. UND fans are very passionate about their school, what was rebranding process like and what was your involvement?
Much of that re-branding took place at the University level, so our office wasn't required to be involved a whole lot during the lead-up. We're naturally involved after the fact as far as implementing it into our daily work and the materials we crank out. Change is always difficult, especially when you're talking about an institution with such a storied history. We accept that everyone adapts at their own speed, and we recognize that some folks may never get on board with the change. However, we continue to move forward as best we can and we're certainly seeing things snowball in a positive direction on that front.

You and your staff have earned 22 CoSIDA Publications & Digital Design awards during your 17 years at UND. What does it mean to you when you are informed that your work is being recognized on a national level?
It means that we've always had a good sports information team in place. As everyone in our profession knows, it takes an army to produce quality work - from the SID to the photographers to the graphic designer to the interns helping you at every turn. Not unlike a Coach of the Year award, no SID wins any sort of award without a great deal of help.

How have you involved your family into the North Dakota athletic department, as the athletic communications profession involves long nights and travel?
It's funny you ask that - my wife, Amanda, is the daughter of a former college football coach. When we first met (she came to UND as a volleyball graduate assistant), she told me, 'there are two kinds of people I will never date: coaches and SIDs.' She was well aware of the hours involved because she had already lived it. It's definitely a challenge to maintain that balance. Amanda is our Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), the Associate AD for student-athlete support services, so it makes it doubly-tough when we're both working in this world. In that sense, it's impossible not to involve your family. You do your best, and FaceTime and Skype definitely help!

You've been at your alma mater North Dakota for 17 years - what is the long-time attraction of staying at that university?
There is a passion here for UND Athletics that is truly special. And folks who work here, who have come from other schools, constantly echo that. It's contagious. I get to be a part of something that is so much bigger than myself, and to do it for my alma mater. I've never - not one single time - woke up in the morning dreading going to work. That's rare.

If you had a chance to tell your younger self something in year one or two of this profession, what would it be?
Do not let your work define you, or else it will own you. No one benefits from that, and neither does the work. There's more to life outside of those office walls. It's always a fine line to walk in this crazy profession, but there is no valor in not having time so spend with your family or to devote to outside interests. It took me years to realize this.

For those that might be wanting to get into the profession, what is the first piece of advice you would tell them?
Soak up every single bit of experience you can get when it presents itself, whether it's something with your name on it, like a game recap, or something completely lacking in glamour, like archiving. There is no more marketable trait than work ethic. Literally everything else can be taught.