NSU names Lawyer Deputy AD for Business and Finance/SWA
Northwestern State has named Sydney Jones its new Deputy Athletic Director for Business and Finance and its Senior Woman Administrator.
Jones comes to NSU from soon-to-be fellow Southland Conference member Texas A&M-Commerce where she spent the past five months as the department’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for business services and SWA.
Jones’ hiring is subject to approval of the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, which governs Northwestern State University.
“First and foremost, the leadership and personnel from top to bottom make this a really exciting team to join,” Jones said. “With (Director of Athletics) Kevin (Bostian) being in his first couple of months he’s forward-thinking and focused on getting tasks across the finish line which is advantageous. I’m excited to join this team and get some of those bigger goals accomplished.
“Northwestern State is an all-hands-on-deck institution. All personnel work hard and are committed to the bigger picture for the overall department. That was really enticing for me.”
Jones will serve as the chief financial officer for Northwestern State athletics as well as the department’s SWA.
“In a short period of time, Sydney Jones has made her mark as a college athletics administrator,” Bostian said. “Throughout the hiring process, she impressed our committee with her presence and command of what we expect. Adding someone with Sydney’s skill set and abilities makes our department stronger. Her ability to relate to our student-athletes through her experiences as a college athlete will benefit them during their time here at Northwestern State.”
A four-year softball letterwinner at Nevada, Jones brings myriad career experiences to Northwestern State.
Jones was the Director of Procurement and Contracting at the United States Air Force Academy before moving to Texas A&M-Commerce. While at Air Force, Jones had oversight of purchasing, procurement and game guarantees while developing and maintaining key relationships with internal and external shareholders. She also played important roles in improving Air Force’s athletic facilities, construction projects, policy analysis and reform.
While at Texas A&M-Commerce, Jones was a key part of the transition team for the Lions’ July 1 move to the Southland Conference.
In addition to her time at Texas A&M-Commerce, Jones was the Assistant Director of Athletics for External Operations and Development/SWA at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. While at LMU, Jones was responsible for developing and implementing fundraising initiatives, had oversight of fiscal management and procurement, assisted with compliance and had sport supervisory roles for softball, women’s volleyball and beach volleyball. Additionally, Jones was an adjunct professor of sport management classes in the LMU school of business.
Jones also brings experience in the legal realm of minor league baseball with roles involving contract negotiation and interpretation as well as player representation.
As an undergraduate at Nevada, Jones served as a representative on the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council while earning her degree in political science and economics in 2015. During her time at Nevada, Jones interned with the Nevada State Senate and Political Caucus.
She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, focusing on sport and entertainment law, in 2018. Jones was a Sports Law Fellow, was honored by the World of Sports Law in 2017 and won the Am Jur Award for Sports Law and Analytics in 2018.