NEW ORLEANS – Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson announced Monday the appointment of Atmore native Scottie Rodgers as the conference’s Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications.
In his role with the league office, Rodgers will provide a critical role in advancing the Sun Belt Conference’s message through multiple channels. He will work with the Sun Belt communications staff to lead campaigns that shape how the conference is viewed externally, while also pushing internal communications between the conference office and its 12 member institutions.
“The Sun Belt Conference is very fortunate to add Scottie to our staff as he brings a wealth of experience at the national level as well as regionally within the Sun Belt’s geography,” said Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson. “He will round out a communications staff at the conference office that is building the Sun Belt brand with creative and innovative methods in today’s new world of communication.”
Rodgers’ role at the Sun Belt will also see him work with schools and host sites on publicity plans for Sun Belt championships. He will additionally serve as a primary media contact for number of conference sports, including men’s basketball.
Rodgers comes to the Sun Belt office from Tulane University where he was Associate Director of Athletics, Strategic Communications, overseeing the media and public relations efforts of the Green Wave’s 16 varsity sports and serving as the primary communications contact for the football and women’s golf programs since August 2016.
Rodgers joined Tulane after spending eight years as the Associate Executive Director, Communications and External Relations at The Ivy League Office. At The Ivy League, Rodgers led the overall communications strategy for all 33 sports and 15 championship events while overseeing all external relations areas including television, marketing / sponsorships, merchandising, licensing and branding as a member of the Executive Director’s senior management team.
Prior to joining The Ivy League, Rodgers spent a little more than two years (2005-08) at CBS Sports Digital as a senior director of university relations. He was also the assistant and later associate director for the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at the NCAA National Office (2000-05) after working in various capacities at the Southeastern Conference Office (1995-2000).
Active nationally, Rodgers is a member of the College Football 150th Anniversary’s Communications / Public Affairs Committee and has been active with CoSIDA since 1996, currently serving on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee since February 2017, Special Awards Committee since June 2014 and Black College Sports Information Directors Steering Committee since June 2015. Previously, he served on CoSIDA’s Social Committee from 1997-2009 and as chair of its University Division Football Championship Subdivision Management Advisory Committee, 2010-14.He also served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Committee for three years, 2013-16.
Rodgers has worked various NCAA championship events throughout his career, including 13 NCAA Men’s Final Fours, eight NCAA Women’s Final Fours and the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game. He was an active member of the local organizing committee for the 2002 FIBA Men’s World Basketball Championship and the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m). He has also worked on the media operations staff for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic since 2000, as a publicity assistant coordinating celebrity interviews at the Kentucky Derby 2002-07 and with the media operations for the New York Yankees for the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 American League Division Series, 2009 and 2010 American League Championship Series and 2009 World Series.
Rodgers graduated from Escambia County High School in 1991, and the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 1995.