Rick Nixon ’82, a Master Communicator for the NCAA

Hey, basketball fans, it’s time for March Madness!

Rick Nixon ’82, associate director of the NCAA who coordinates media relations for a number of sports championships, is an integral part of March Madness, including the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and Women’s Final Four.

“I think it’s the best job in the world, working to elevate the championships and the overall student-athlete experience,” says Nixon, who is based at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. “It’s a great feeling each year to see the confetti fall as we crown another champion!”

Nixon, who joined the organization in January 2006, will be in Tampa in early April for the 2025 Women’s Final Four, coordinating all media operations. His responsibilities, however, are not just limited to basketball. For example, he has a similar role for Division I men’s and women’s golf and women’s field hockey.

Nixon also works with NCAA broadcast partners ESPN, Turner Sports, the Golf Channel, and Westwood One Radio, in addition to assorted publications. Additionally, he serves as staff liaison with College Sports Communicators (CSC), the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

In 2024, the United States Basketball Writers Association presented Nixon with the prestigious USBWA Mary Jo Haverbeck Award. Haverbeck, who died in 2014, was among the first women to work in the sports communication field.

Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Mel Greenberg, the dean of women’s basketball journalists, had this to say about Nixon in the USBWA news release: “Rick has made it so easy for us to work successfully at games over the years, and he handles the nuances associated with media coverage.”

Nixon was one of the first sports information directors at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), joining the Roadrunners staff in 1987. He was eventually promoted to assistant athletics director and had a number of assignments. Nixon was the radio/television voice for UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams and for the baseball team. This was in addition to directing media efforts for all sports at UTSA, until leaving for the NCAA in 2006.

He served as a host media coordinator for a number of NCAA Championships held at the Alamodome, including the NCAA Men’s Final Fours in 1998 and 2004, the Women’s Final Four in 2002, and the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship in 2005.

Nixon was the press officer for the United States Olympic Committee for the 2003 World University Games, for swimming, in Daegu, South Korea, and for men’s basketball in 2006 at the event held at Izmir, Turkey.

He was actually introduced to the sports information field by his late father, Harry W. Nixon, who was the sports information officer at Trinity University from 1982-86 and from 1987-89. Rick Nixon assisted his dad on game days, which led to his hiring at UTSA. Harry, who worked for 28 years at the former Kelly Air Force Base as a civilian public affairs officer, began his tenure at Trinity just days after his retirement from the federal government.

The older Nixon, who died in November 2020 at the age of 97, reciprocated by assisting his son with UTSA duties.

“Dad assisted me with numerous events,” Nixon shares, “including serving as the official scorer for men’s and women’s basketball games for almost 20 years at UTSA, in addition to other responsibilities.”

Nixon graduated from Trinity in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, broadcasting, and film, as the department was then called. He played on a number of intramural sports teams, including flag football and basketball. His admitted “claim to fame” was being named as an intramural basketball all-star.

“My time at Trinity was instrumental in leading me to where I am today,” Nixon says. “I remember fondly the classes of Richard Gentry and Sammye Johnson. KRTU was a daily hang-out spot, as was Bombay Bicycle Club!”

Nixon followed his older brother, John Nixon ’79, to Trinity. As a Tiger, John played baseball and basketball. Born and raised in San Antonio, the younger Nixon graduated from Antonian High School in 1978, playing basketball and baseball for the Apaches. He spent two years at San Antonio College before transferring to Trinity.

“I remember going with my dad and brothers to numerous Trinity sporting events as I was growing up,” Nixon recalls. “My dad always swam at the Trinity pool, which was a great place to visit in the summer. I was looking for a school that was close to home and offered a journalism-based degree. I chose Trinity and never looked back!”

On March 15, 2025, Rick and Cathy Nixon will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Christopher (age 38), who works for Epson Printing in Indianapolis, and Michael (age 32), who will receive an electrical engineering degree from Purdue University in Indianapolis in May. Michael and his wife, Jordan, gave Rick and Cathy their first grandson, Harry Jonathan Nixon, born on October 31, 2024.

Nixon has some advice and comments for students who are considering a career in sports information.

“There are numerous opportunities in sports information and athletics if you have the right mindset,” Nixon says. “Get your foot in the door and grow from there. In today’s technology age, don’t forget the basics of great communication and learn to write! Being a good writer takes time and work. Refine the craft as you go through school and enter the workforce. I encourage all to be as versatile as possible and to follow their dreams and never give up. When one door closes, it usually means another is opening.”