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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 181
BY REPRESENTATIVE COX
COMMENDATIONS: Commends Wright Waters on receiving the 2014 Dave Dixon
Louisiana Sports Leadership Award
A RESOLUTION1
To commend Wright Waters on receiving the 2014 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership2
Award.3
WHEREAS, the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award is presented4
annually by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's thirty-member Louisiana Sports Hall5
of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports6
leader or administrator benefitting Louisiana and bringing credit to the state on the national7
and international level; and8
WHEREAS, the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award is named in honor9
of Hall of Famer Dave Dixon, the driving force behind bringing the National Football10
League to Louisiana with the creation of the New Orleans Saints franchise, and the man who11
is also considered the "father" of the Mercedes-Benz Louisiana Superdome; and12
WHEREAS, longtime Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters is one of13
two 2014 recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award presented by the14
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame; and15
WHEREAS, Wright Waters served as a Division I conference commissioner for two16
decades as part of a forty-year career in collegiate athletics; and17
WHEREAS, before moving to the conference level, Mr. Waters served as associate18
athletic director at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette prior to a four-year stint at19
Tulane University as both associate athletic director and interim athletic director; and20 HLS 14RS-4903 ORIGINAL
HR NO. 181
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WHEREAS, Mr. Waters left Tulane for the Southeastern Conference, where he was1
commissioner for seven years and helped that league to achieve unprecedented growth; and2
WHEREAS, Wright Waters left the Southeastern Conference in 1998 to take over3
as only the fourth commissioner of the Sun Belt, and two years later, he became one of only4
two commissioners in modern-day National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)5
history to oversee the addition of football as a league sport in a currently existing Football6
Bowl Subdivision (FBS) league; and7
WHEREAS, under Wright Waters' leadership, the league became a Bowl8
Championship Series conference, and it gained a permanent seat on the NCAA Board of9
Directors; and10
WHEREAS, during his stint as commissioner, Mr. Waters was integral in convincing11
many Sun Belt schools of the benefits of moving to Division I, and was thus instrumental12
in helping to form a successful football league that now has two automatic bowl tie-ins,13
including the New Orleans Bowl; and14
WHEREAS, led by Mr. Waters, the league added five members and increased its15
sports sponsorship by five; and16
WHEREAS, Wright Waters will be among the 2014 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame17
induction class to be spotlighted at the annual induction dinner and ceremonies on Saturday18
evening, June twenty-first, at the Natchitoches Events Center.19
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the20
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Wright Waters on receiving the 2014 Dave21
Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.22
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted23
to Wright Waters.24
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Cox HR No. 181
Commends Wright Waters on receiving the Dave Dixon La. Sports Leadership Award.