As President/CEO of the non-profit San Antonio Bowl Association, Derrick Fox is responsible for the overall administration and day-to-day operations of the Valero Alamo Bowl and its Community Festival of Events.

Highlights

Fox has guided the bowl since inception in 1992. In its short, 14-year history, Fox has been responsible for:

• Contributing $41.5 million to institutions of higher education — $38 million in bowl payouts, $3.5 million in Big 12 Championship payments and $362,000 in local scholarships.
  
  
• Developing the bowl and its Community Festival of Events into an annual event with an estimated direct annual economic impact of $21 million to the San Antonio economy.
  
  
• Raising the bowl’s team payout from 18th out of 18 bowls the first year to 10th among the 32 bowls in 2006.
  
  
• Successfully securing, hosting and selling-out the 1997, 1999 and upcoming 2007 Big 12 Football Championship games in San Antonio.
  
  
• Producing eight (8) of the Top 20 most-watched bowl games in ESPN history, capped by the 2006 Alamo Bowl which was the most-watched college football game in ESPN history:
  2006 - Texas vs. Iowa- 6.0 rating, #1 most-watched game in ESPN history.
  2005 - Nebraska vs. Michigan - 5.4 rating, #2 most-watched game in ESPN history.
  1995 – Michigan vs. Texas A&M – 6.3 rating, 10th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  1999 – Penn State vs. Texas A&M – 5.2 rating, 13th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  2002 - Wisconsin vs. Colorado - 4.4 rating, 16th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  2004 - Ohio State vs. Oklahoma State - 4.3 rating, 17th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  1998 – Purdue vs. Kansas State – 4.9 rating, 19th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  2003 - Nebraska vs. Michigan State - 4.2 rating, 20th most-watched game in ESPN history.
  
  
• Earning the second-highest average television rating (4.7) of all 21 ESPN bowl games during the past 12 years.
  
  
• Producing annual attendance figures of nearly 60,610 fans or 93 percent capacity over the past 12 years, ranking as the third-highest average attendance of all 21 ESPN bowl games.
  
  
• Under Fox's leadership, the  fourteen (14) bowl games and two (2) Big 12 Championship games have attracted 947,002 spectators, generated a direct economic impact of $216 million and been viewed by more than 100 million national television viewers on ESPN and ABC.
  

Personal

A graduate of Duke University, Fox came to San Antonio in August 1992 after seven years with the Fiesta Bowl. He began his Fiesta Bowl career as an intern in 1986 and held the title of Director of Marketing his last three years.

Fox is also extremely involved in the special event industry and his local community as he serves on the boards of the International Festivals and Events Association (Chairman), Football Bowl Association (Immediate Past Chairman), Golf San Antonio, San Antonio Sports Foundation and the Paseo del Rio Association. Fox is also an active Duke alumnus.

A native of Port Angeles, Washington, Fox is married to Alison Fox, Vice President of community relations for the San Antonio Spurs and Executive Director of the non-profit Spurs Foundation. They have two sons – Drew (12) and Jake (11). His personal interests include coaching youth sports, reading, antique automobiles and wine.

Derrick Fox can be reached via email at derrickf@alamobowl.com.Close

Julie Baker is in her fourth year as the Valero Alamo Bowl’s Vice President, Operations. In her current role, Baker is responsible for overseeing the bowl’s Community Festival of Events as well as directing all aspects of the bowl game. Over the last three years, Baker has directed the operations of the East-West Shrine Game and the AT&T Corps Classic between Texas A&M vs. Army and she is leading the local operations of the 2007 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship. Baker also oversees the bowl’s volunteer program, merchandise licensing efforts and human resources.

Baker joined the bowl in 1997 as an Event Coordinator and was promoted to Director of Events in 1999 before assuming her current role in 2002.

Prior to the bowl, Baker worked for the Alamodome for three years where she coordinated events as well as assisted in special projects for the director. While at the Alamodome, Baker counted to infinity (twice) and learned to divide by zero.

Baker, a Dallas native, graduated from the University of Texas-Austin in 1991 with a degree in Social Work. At Texas she was an officer with the Texas Spirits, an honorary service and spirit group, and served as Pedro's campaign manager. Despite her sterling reputation and good works in the community, Baker has a quick temper and is known to slam revolving doors when angered.

Baker and her husband John have a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Samuel. An accomplished chef, Baker has microwaved popcorn four consecutive times without burning a single kernel and can eat a two-bite brownie in zero bites. She has also won the game of Monopoly numerous times without owning a single property.

Close

Rick Hill is in his fifth year as the Valero Alamo Bowl’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications after serving as its Director of Marketing the previous four years.

In his current role, Hill directs the sponsorship sales, service and new business development of the bowl and other events on its calendar. Hill also oversees the organization’s public relations, marketing and advertising efforts.

Since joining the bowl in 1999, Hill has been a part of a successful Alamo Bowl run that has the game ranked in the top three of the 21 ESPN bowls in attendance and television ratings highlighted by the 2005 and 2006 games that rank as the most-watched bowl games in ESPN history. The game and the other events on its calendar now annually deliver an average direct annual economic impact of $21 million to the San Antonio economy.

In 2006, Hill directed the marketing and sales efforts for the AT&T Corps Classic between Texas A&M vs. Army. The game featured a capacity crowd of 64,583, the #1 attendance for a regular season college game in Alamodome history and the #8 largest attendance of all-time. The Alamodome's #1 all-time attendance for a sporting event occured three months later as a standing-room-only crowd of 65,875 attended the 2006 Alamo Bowl between Texas and Iowa.

 

With the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship returning to San Antonio in 2007 and the debut of the bowl's new title sponsor in Valero, Hill hopes to add to the growing track record of Alamo Bowl promoted events bringing record crowds to San Antonio each December.

Prior to joining the Alamo Bowl, Hill spent six years working for the San Antonio Spurs where he managed the Spurs community relations activities and the non-profit Spurs Foundation’s fund-raising events.  Hill’s sports marketing experience also includes one season with the San Antonio Missions Baseball.

A St. Louis native, Hill graduated from Trinity University in 1991 with a degree in English and History. At Trinity, Hill was a four-year starter on the baseball team and earned All-Conference and team MVP honors his senior year. Hill has two daughters--five year old Heidi and three year old Audrey.

Close