NAIA-SIDA Spotlight - Dave Beyer of Oklahoma Panhandle

Dave Beyer, a 34-year veteran in the industry, has been the Sports Information Director at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in the Sooner Athletic Conference since February 2019.

In July of 2011, Beyer received a 25-Year Award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for his long tenure in the profession during the organization’s annual convention in Marco Island, Florida.

Beyer is also a cancer survivor, diagnosed after falling ill at a football game in 2005. While going through chemo, he and his staff were still able to pull off media duties of hosting the 2006 NCAA II Women’s Lacrosse Championship and the 2006 NCAA III Track and Field Championships two weeks apart, scheduling his appointments around them.

“Those was first opportunities in my career for hosting a national championship and it was very important to me to pull it off.”

Prior to OPSU, he has also worked in similar positions at McMurry University (Texas), Mercer University (Ga.), Benedictine University (Ill.), Rockford College (Ill.), Loras College (Iowa), Aurora University (Ill.), Cal State-San Bernardino, Rancho Santiago Community College (Calif.) and Biola University (Calif.) during his career.

Beyer has the unique distinction of having worked at every level of collegiate competition: JUCO, NAIA, NCCAA, NCAA I, II and III at some point during his tenure in the profession.

Professionally, Beyer is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and is in his 20th year sitting on the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America® Committee. He is also in his 13th year as a member of CoSIDA's Publication Contest committee. Personally, Beyer has earned a total of 39 awards for publications and writing during his career.

In his youth, he also had a front-row seat to what was voted ESPN’s “Greatest Moment in Baseball History”, when he was at the Los Angeles Dodgers game the day then-Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saved an American flag from being burned by protestors on the field between innings (and keeps an autographed poster commemorating the event hanging in his office).

Favorite Hobby:   Writing parodies of songs and/or poems

Favorite Professional Sports Team:  L.A. Dodgers

Favorite Color:  What else?  Dodger Blue

Favorite Vacation Destination:  What’s a vacation???  Lol.  Tucson, AZ

Favorite Style of Music:   Classic Rock

Favorite Athlete of All Time: Hank Aaron

Favorite Author: God

Favorite Quote: “Just ‘cause cats are born in an oven, it don’t make them biscuits.” -- I had a JV coach tell me that in high school; still not sure what it means to this day, but I liked it!

Favorite Memory as an SID:  My very first year as an SID (1984-85), Biola University (Calif.) reached the NAIA basketball tournament and I had the chance to experience the whole Kansas City treatment! For a rookie SID, it invigorated me for this profession. I’m sure I was wide-eyed at all the hospitality, organization, and tremendous atmosphere – especially when there was hoops from early morning until late at night those first days.