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Jeff Schwartz – North Dakota State University, Senior Associate Director of Athletic Communications

CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award

by Mark Adkins, Morningside College Sports Information Director

When a 1981 Mount Nazarene University graduate moved into the field of sports information, it was a match for the ages.
 
Thirty-nine years later, North Dakota State University Senior Associate Director of Athletic Communications Jeff Schwartz has left an indelible mark not only on the Bison programs he’s promoted since 1989 but across the profession’s landscape.
 
Next month, Schwartz will be retiring from North Dakota State, effective June 30. He is receiving a CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding and long-time commitment and service to collegiate athletics and athletic communications.
 
The bottom line for Schwartz has been working with student-athletes and promoting each of them consistently. Quoted in a 1990 story from the Fargo Forum, he said, “I’ve never wanted any of the programs I’ve worked with or the student-athletes within them to feel slighted. I want to make sure all of the athletes – not just the big names – feel worthwhile.”
 

It’s shown in the honors the department has received. Schwartz has had the opportunity to work with three Division II Honda Female Athlete of the Year Award winners, six America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team members, and 50 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, to mention a few.
 
“I am forever grateful for Jeff and George Ellis for getting me started in this business as a graduate assistant,” California State-Northridge assistant director of sports communication Matt Turk said. “To this day, I try and run my shop (or my portion of the shop) with the lessons that Jeff instilled in me … always be proactive, always find a way to get the job done. I hope that I’ve been able to take that instruction and pay it forward with the folks that have worked with me in my career.”
 
“Jeff is worthy of the highest honors that CoSIDA has to offer,” University of Colorado-Boulder associate sports information director Troy Andre said. “His work ethic has made him one of the most respected sports information professionals in the nation. One thing I admired and learned from Jeff was to treat every sport and every project like the most important thing in the world. He cares deeply for the sports, student-athletes and coaches he is involved with. His leadership and guidance have helped me achieve success in this field.”
 
Schwartz’s NDSU career began with 14 years as a women’s sports information director. He was named director of athletic media relations at NDSU in September 2004 and senior associate director of athletic communications in July 2015. He handled communications for NDSU’s Bison Athletic Hall of Fame, volleyball, wrestling, and softball programs. He coordinates special awards and projects for the athletic department.

Schwartz guided the current 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, which featured a multi-media coordinator position and upgrading all facets of media services at NDSU sport venues.

Always a proponent of innovative ways to get the word out about the Green and Gold, he was, starting in the mid-1990s, on the ground floor of the development and design of what is now GoBison.com. The site, which consistently ranks as one of the best in NCAA Division I, had a fledgling start on the university’s server before moving into its current home with SIDEARM Sports.
 
While never at the forefront of his mind, Schwartz’s work has led to a prestigious awards cadre. He was the recipient of the inaugural American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Grant Burger Media Award in October 1997; he received the 1997-98 North Central Conference Honor Award; and was inducted into the Mount Vernon Nazarene University Cougar Wall of Fame in 2007.
 
A combination of personal diligence, persuasive writing and eye for graphics has led to earning 44 CoSIDA publication awards, including 11 “Best in the Nation” honors, and six CoSIDA national writing awards. Three of NDSU’s women’s basketball game programs were judged “Best in the Nation,” including the 2003-04 edition of the publication.
 
Schwartz also 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.

His professional reach extended well beyond the Fargo area. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Schwartz worked as the interview room supervisor at the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah, 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 also had a strong understanding of serving his fellow professionals. He’s been 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, Ethics and Membership committees, the Writing Contest committee and Publication and Digital Design committee. Schwartz also served on the NCAA Statistics and Records Advisory Board.
 
I served as a graduate assistant for Jeff, and you could tell his passion for the people and programs he worked with from day one. For me, Jeff was an excellent teacher of the trade, but that was just part of it. He was just as concerned about spotlighting a women’s golf record round score and a cross country runner’s personal best along with football and basketball accolades.


“Jeff Schwartz definitely had an influence on my career. Working with Jeff, and my time in the North Dakota State sports information office, really solidified my career path,” recalled Jim Christman, former team director for communications and media relations coordinator for the Seattle Dragons of the XFL. “I was there at the beginning of a run when NDSU's women’s basketball teams won the national championship five out of six seasons. As a student, and seeing Jeff’s work with those teams, it made me realize the contributions and support the sports information office provides and how you’re really considered to be an important part of the team. I appreciate his influence and the longevity he was able to maintain at North Dakota State.”
 
And Tom Galbraith, Director of Athletics at Simpson College (California) and former SID, sums up Schwartz’s lasting impact and legacy.
 
“Jeff has always been a consummate pro. His dedication to women’s sports and promoting not just NDSU as a whole but Bison women’s athletics early on in his career showed his passion for the profession,” Galbraith noted. “His level of professionalism was a key to him being a good mentor to me and many others. What he’s done has taught all of us to learn to pay attention to quality and equity in sports.”