MORRISTOWN, N.J. – May 3, 2004 – Jon F. Hanson, Chairman of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF), announced today that Tulane Director of Athletics Rick Dickson has been selected to receive the 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award.

Presented annually, this prestigious award is intended to provide national recognition to an individual whose efforts and activities in support of the Foundation and its goals have been local in nature. It also applies to individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it’s enjoyed by spectators.

“Rick Dickson’s excellent ledger as an athletics director has been well documented over the years,” said Hanson. “However, his supreme leadership in guiding the Tulane athletics program through its recent difficulties should be commended.”

Dickson has served as athletics director for 17 years at three schools, but his recent work at Tulane University has earned particular praise. In danger of its athletics program downgrading from Division I-A to Division III, Dickson devised a plan to enhance revenue streams, cut down expenses and save its current status.

“Because of his leadership, tenacity and outright gut-wrenching work, Dickson saved Tulane University’s Division I-A Program,” said James W. Wilson, member of Tulane’s Board of Trustees. “If anyone is well-deserving of such an award, it’s Rick Dickson.”

The presentation will be made at the Foundation’s Annual Awards Luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on Tuesday, December 7, 2004. The Luncheon will also feature the presentation of The NFF’s National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards, Outstanding Football Official Award, John L. Toner Award and Chapter Leadership Awards. Later that evening, Dickson will be seated on the dais and recognized at the 47th Annual Awards Dinner.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD - Presented annually, this prestigious award is intended to provide national recognition to an individual whose efforts and activities in support of the Foundation and its goals have been local in nature. It also applies to individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it’s enjoyed by spectators.

RICK DICKSON
2004 Recipient

In his fourth year as Tulane's director of athletics, Rick Dickson has built the Green Wave program into a model for Division I-A athletics, most recently directing the department through a board review which resulted in a unanimous resolution re-affirming the institution's NCAA Division I status and galvanized a newly-energized base of supporters. Dickson guided the department through an intense six-week campaign that resulted in the school's more than doubling its football season ticket base while raising the endowment by five million dollars and meeting its 2002-03 annual fund goals. His five-year plan to reduce the Tulane athletics' deficit provided the university's administration with a blueprint for the future of Tulane athletics.

Dickson's innovative scheduling strategy has resulted in some of the best-attended events ever at the school, highlighted by the three-game 2001 Super Regional Series at Zephyr Field that attracted more than 35,000 fans. Last year, Dickson's vision enabled Tulane fans to enjoy the first outdoor Homecoming football game since 1974 when the Wave played host to Navy and a sold-out crowd at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park, complete with Homecoming parade, pre-game bands and plenty of tailgating. Football games with teams such as Southern and Texas have attracted regional and national attention.

A native of Tulsa, Okla., Dickson came to Tulane from Washington State, where he served as athletics director from 1994-2000. At WSU, Dickson oversaw an athletics program that was recognized nationally for its success in dealing with gender-equity issues. He was also active in fundraising for a capital campaign for scholarships and endowments, an indoor practice facility and the renovation and expansion of Bohler Gymnasium, the building that houses WSU's intercollegiate sports programs. Washington State enjoyed on-the-field success during Dickson's tenure, highlighted by the football team's first Rose Bowl appearance in 67 years in 1997. He was a member of the NCAA Football Issues Committee and has been active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Boy Scouts of America.

Prior to working with football as an administrator, Dickson enjoyed the game as both a player and coach. He was a student-athlete at the University of Tulsa, playing both football and baseball for three years. Following graduation, Dickson was an assistant coach at Tulsa as well as at Will Rogers High School. He began his career as an athletics director at his alma mater shortly afterward, spending six years at Tulsa before moving onto Washington State.

Active in the New Orleans Community, Dickson is on the board of directors for the Fellowship Foundation, which aids underprivileged youth. He and his wife, Brenda, have four children.

Past OCAF recipients: