College Sports Information Directors of America

Rising Star Award
Presented annually to College Sports Communicators members in the University Division (NCAA DI) and in the College Division (NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, Two-year Colleges, Canadian institutions) – with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution, conference office or intercollegiate athletics-affiliated association and service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in athletics communications. Voted on by the Special Awards Committee.

Alisha Alexander – Lewis-Clark State College Assistant Athletic Director-Sports Information/Senior Women’s Leader 
Rising Star Award (College Division)

A rising young leader in the athletic communications profession, Alisha Alexander is in her seventh year as sports information director and second year as the assistant athletic director and senior women's leader at Lewis-Clark State College after serving the prior five years as sports information director. 

A member of the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors, Alexander was elected as an at-large member in 2022 before being selected as second vice president in 2023-24 and first vice president in 2024-25. She is in line to become the organization's president in 2027.

In 2023, in the ninth year that the award was presented, Alexander became the first woman to be named the NAIA's Sports Information Director of the Year. A year earlier, Alexander was a member of CSC's inaugural 30 Under 30 class. She is also a groundbreaker within the Cascade Collegiate Conference where she was the first woman named the conference's SID of the Year in 2021 and repeated as winner in 2023.

In 2021, Alexander was named the NAIA finalist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Grant Burger Media Award, honoring the top communications professionals in the sport. 
At Lewis-Clark State, Alexander oversees communications efforts for the Warriors' 13 sports and is the media director for the Avista NAIA Baseball World Series, which is held annually on the LCSC campus. 

Alexander arrived in Lewiston after one year (2017-18) as the sports information assistant at NCAA Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in Claremont, California. She spent two years as a graduate assistant at her alma mater, Concordia University Irvine, where she also interned with the NCAA Division II PacWest Conference.

Tommy Chasanoff, University of the Cumberlands Assistant Athletic Director - Sports Information, NAIA-SIDA President: "Alisha has emerged as a star in the athletic communications profession and I'm beyond proud of her success. She has excelled at Lewis-Clark State, serving as the host SID for the NAIA Avista World Series while becoming a vital part of the NAIA-SIDA Board. I can't think of anyone more deserving for this honor than Alisha and I look forward to celebrating all of her success this summer."

Clayton Messerle, Corban University - Oregon Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Athletic Communications: "Alisha's exemplary work in the SID field is due primarily to her love for her student-athletes and willingness to always go the extra mile. She consistently works the long hours this career requires and always does so with a smile on her face and a unique 'grit' that allows her to push the boundaries of both providing incredible coverage of her department while also taking risks to continuously improve her craft. 

It has been an honor working alongside Alisha as a conference colleague over my time in the CCC and NAIA thus far, and I'm always excited to see what she is going to accomplish next. I can confidently say she is the true definition of a “Rising Star”, but those who know her as well as myself know she's been a leading professional in both our regional and national communities for a number of years."

Jay Stancil, Appalachian Athletic Conference Assistant Commissioner for Championships and Information, CSC Special Awards Committee member, CSC Warren Berg Award (2022), CSC 25-Year Award (2024): "Alisha has fast become a leader in our profession. She strives to be and do better than she did the day before, and it’s that drive that earned her the NAIA SID of the Year Award in 2023 and now the CSC Rising Star Award. Wanting to make the profession better, Alisha has been an active member on the NAIA-SIDA Board and has ascended to the First Vice President position. She’s not becoming a leader in our profession; she is now a leader in our profession. And we have only seen the tip of the iceberg of Alisha’s potential. The best is still yet to come."

Alexander on receiving a 2025 Rising Star Award…
The world of college athletics is special, and athletic communications is such an important part of that. I'm beyond blessed to work at an incredible institution in the NAIA and in a conference as great as the Cascade. To be recognized for the passion I put into my work by those from all areas of the industry is so special and I could not be more grateful. Special shout out to my student-athletes and interns that make every day exciting. There's nothing like small college athletics.