Brian Hicks - Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Brian Hicks

Title:
Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations
Email:
Phone:
513.745.3604

Brian Hicks joined Xavier University in 2004 and was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations in July of 2022.

Hicks is part of Xavier Athletics’ core senior leadership staff and is accountable for all aspects of the department’s external areas, including fan experience and engagement, broadcast, communications and media relations, sales and image-related initiatives. Oversight includes marketing and revenue generation efforts for Xavier University's 19 sport intercollegiate athletic program including ticket operations and sales, promotions, advertising, game-day activities, community relations and the overall branding of Xavier Athletics. He serves as the department liaison for Xavier Sports Properties (a property of Learfield Sports), and handles key strategic relationships with FOX Sports, CLC, and SIDEARM Sports.

Hicks is the sport administrator for the Musketeers’ men's and women’s soccer programs. He served as the Tournament Manager of the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship first and second rounds hosted at Cintas Center, and was Tournament Director of the 2014 and 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship First Round and NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship First Round in 2021 and 2023.

During his time at Xavier, the university has continued to see significant growth in premium seating and ticket sales, licensing, merchandising, corporate sponsorship and other revenue streams as a result of an aggressive department-wide effort to capitalize on the success and national prominence in men's and women's basketball. Under his guidance, the athletic marketing department has received numerous `Best of' Awards from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) including in the categories of New-Revenue Generating Idea, Single-Day Attendance Promotion, Intro Video, TV Commercial, Ticket Sales Piece, Newspaper Display Ad, Promotional Poster and Promotional t-shirt design.

Hicks began his career in professional sports with affiliates of both the Seattle Mariners and the San Jose Sharks. In 1998-99, while completing his master's degree at Xavier, Hicks spent time as a marketing assistant working on a variety of projects including premium seating for Cintas Center. Prior to returning to Xavier, Hicks spent nearly five years at The Superlative Group where he was responsible for sponsorship, naming rights, and premium seating programs for municipalities and professional and collegiate properties. Of note, Hicks was involved in the luxury suite sales campaign for the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park that concluded in a MLB record 37 days.

Hicks is a member of NACMA, served on its Board of Directors for ten years until 2020 and was President during the 2018-19 year. For the BIG EAST Conference, Hicks currently serves on the Women’s Soccer Sport and Championship Committee, and is on the Marketing & External Operations subcommittee.

Hicks is a graduate of the Xavier University Manager-Leader Professional Development Program, and he is a member of the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA) and Cincinnati Sports Professionals Network. He has authored two articles that have been published in Athletics Administration, the official publication of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

A 1997 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Hicks earned a master's degree in sport administration from Xavier in 1999. He and his wife, Rachel, reside in Loveland with their children, Ben and Aubrey. The Hicks’ have become engaged in several Cincinnati community organizations including The Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program in high schools. He and Rachel are also members of Xavier Athletics’ All For One Fund.