Inductees

Talk about paying your dues and earning respect. In 1992, the Missouri Valley Conference’s headquarters sought a media relations director.

And the guy who years earlier as a high school senior served as a copy editor and page designer at the Sikeston Standard-Democrat — and who in college worked in the University of Missouri’s Sports Information Director’s office – thought he might have a chance.

Even better, big names went to bat for Jack R. Watkins, Jr.

“Honestly, then Mizzou Assistant AD and now Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione knew former MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin quite well, and he called on my behalf,” Watkins said. “In addition, Missourians like Norm Stewart, (Mizzou SID) Bob Brendel, Steve Wieberg (formerly of USA Today), Steve Richardson (College Football Writers Association), etc., either wrote or called my behalf.”

Call it quite the career – 30 years now at the Valley, all in major roles, the latest being Associate Commissioner – and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Watkins with the Class of 2021.

Over the years, he served in media services, advertising/marketing, television and championship administration capacities. For instance, he has been:

• Tournament director for the MVC men’s basketball championship in St. Louis since 2013, and tournament director for four NCAA men’s basketball events, including the 2019 regional in Kansas City, during the same timeframe.
• The primary staff contact with MVC Sports Properties, which handles television advertising and sponsorship sales. He also assists with the promotional campaigns for league championships.
• The staff contact for ESPN, CBS Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports Chicago in a role that coordinates contract negotiation, production, hiring on-air talent and clearances of those entities.

And that’s just the Cliff’s Notes version.

“It’s funny, but my career in sports started in the most unlikely way,” Watkins said, explaining that his parents were in line at a Rotary Club chili luncheon and nearby was Mike Marsh, the Standard-Democrat sports editor. “As the story goes, ‘Hi, we’re Jack and Esther Watkins.  Our son, Jackie, is interested in sports.’ It all started with chili.”

In college, he worked for Mizzou’s SID office, and from 1988-1992 was the assistant sports information director.

Soon, Valley Commissioner Doug Elgin (MSHOF 2018) came calling, seeking a media relations director.

“My first year we ran the 1993 NCAA Midwest Regional with a field that included Indiana, Kansas, Louisville and, were it not for Jason Kidd and the California Bears, Duke would have been fourth team,” Watkins said. “That was my first experience as an NCAA media coordinator and, given the bluebloods in St. Louis, it was a career-defining moment that sent me on my way.”

In 1999, Watkins led the Valley’s TV expansion by working with FOX Sports Regional networks outside of the Valley’s footprint. The conference also gained a national platform on FOX College Sports.

In the summer of 2012, he was elevated to Arch Madness tournament manager. He also ran the first and second rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2013 (Kansas City), 2014 and 2016 (St. Louis) and the 2019 Kansas City regional.

In 2013, Watkins helped create The Valley on ESPN, a co-branded digital network with ESPN. Launched in 2015-2016, it led to nearly 700 live events per year for ESPN distribution.

“Doug Elgin and Joe Mitch were aggressive, and we fed off each other’s desire to spread our brand,” Watkins said.

Mitch ran Arch Madness for 22 years.

“Joe Mitch is the finest tournament manager in the history of collegiate postseason championship administration in my opinion,” Watkins said. “Whenever challenges occur – they do often – I channel my best ‘Joe Mitch’ and ask what he would do.”

What’s great is Watkins’ true love for the Valley, especially basketball. Ask him about rosters and each team’s preseason outlook, and he can tell you in detail.

“I love The Valley,” Watkins said. “A lot of conferences talk about being a ‘basketball league,’ but it’s not chatter in our league.”

So many folks deserve thanks: former Mizzou SID Bill Callahan, the Valley’s Elgin, Kristen Swederska and Mike Kern, as well as sports administrators across the Valley and Tom Gray, former GM of KOMU-TV in Columbia.

More so, the advice of his parents and support of his wife, Genny, have not been forgotten. He and Genny are the parents of the late Katherine I. Watkins.

“All three of them are the voices in my head, and they are the reason I am the man the Hall of Fame is honoring,” Watkins said.