Black Hills State University Director of Athletics, Mark Nore, has announced the hiring of Alec Schoof as the Yellow Jackets next Director of Athletic Communications. Schoof makes his return to The Mount Rushmore State following a one year stint as Sports Information Director at West Liberty University in West Virginia.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alec Schoof as the new Director of Athletic Communications at Black Hills State University,” exclaimed Nore. “Alec brings with him a wealth of experience and a diverse skill set, making him a valuable addition to our team. We are fortunate to have him and look forward to the contributions he will make.”
“I would like to thank Director of Athletics, Mark Nore, search committee chair/Assistant Athletic Director, Kristin Carmichael, and the entire search committee for entrusting me with the role of Director of Athletic Communications at Black Hills State University,” stated Schoof. “This is an incredible opportunity to return closer to home and be a part of an exceptional staff in the Yellow Jacket athletic department!”
During his lone season with West Liberty in 2023-24, Schoof served as the primary media contact for all 18 Hilltopper intercollegiate athletic programs, covering three teams who competed in NCAA Division II national tournaments. Coverage of the athletic department’s success showcased the volleyball team making their second consecutive NCAA Tournament, the men’s basketball team tying an NCAA Division II record with their 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and the wrestling team finishing 13th at the NCAA Championships after spending a portion of the season ranked No. 1 nationally. Schoof played an integral role in the school’s hosting of events such as the Mountain East Conference Wrestling Championships, the NCAA Division II Super Region III Wrestling Championships, and the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Men’s Golf Regional, where he served as the host sports information director at each tournament.
Highlighting a number of high profile athletes he covered on the hilltop was Ty McGeary (wrestling), who notched his second consecutive national title at 184 pounds and was the NCAA Division II National Wrestler of the Year. Also, he promoted McGeary to CSC Academic All-America® First Team honors. Other All-Americans promoted during Schoof’s tenure include Khyvon Grace (wrestling) and Nyia Setla (volleyball), while additional CSC Academic All-Americans® include Reese Burnside (track & field) and Philip White (cross country/track & field).
Schoof arrived at West Liberty following a 2-year stint as the Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant at Northern State University (S.D.) from 2021-23, where he served as the primary media contact for women’s soccer, women’s basketball, women’s swimming, and baseball. With the Wolves, he publicized a pair of NSIC Freshman of the Year performers in Hannah Smith (women’s soccer) and Lilly Grebner (women’s swimming). Additionally, his coverage of Grebner throughout the year included four NSIC Championships and participation at the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships in three events during the 2022-23 season.
Prior to Northern State he was a student assistant for two years in the athletic communications office at Upper Iowa University. His primary role included photographing the Peacock home sporting events and game day play-by-play for both men’s and women’s soccer contests.
Schoof also spent time as an intern in a pair of NCAA Division I athletic communication offices at the University of Nebraska and Duke University. During the summer of 2022 he was the Athletic Communications Intern for the Huskers, where he was the editor of the 2022-23 Nebraska All-Sport Record Book. In 2020, he began working for the Blue Devils as a remote intern where he was an editor of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 Duke Women’s Basketball Media Guides.
Along with his role as a remote intern, Schoof assisted Duke’s Senior Associate Director of Communications, Lindy Brown, with the creation of an NCAA record book for men’s golf at the Division I level for three years. In this role he oversaw the compilation of stat pages, while setting minimum qualifications for statistical categories.
Schoof entered the athletic communication’s field as a summer intern for Northwestern College (IA) in 2018 and 2019. At NWC, he assembled their 2018 and 2019 football and 2018 volleyball media guides. He also assisted in the coverage of the Red Raider football team at the 2018 and 2019 GPAC Football Media Days and the general update of program records on the school’s new Sidearm Sports athletics website.
Schoof has volunteered at several collegiate national championship events in his career. In 2022 and 2024, he was a member of the NCAA Media Coordination Staff at the NCAA Division I Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska; researching quick facts for game notes and escorting players and coaches to press conferences. In 2018 and 2023, he served as a table worker for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; running mat-side scoreboards, coordinating and operating video for officials on coaches’ challenges, and was a caller for the individual’s operating the scoring and timing systems. In 2019 and 2020, Schoof was a sports information volunteer at the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournaments in Sioux Falls, S.D., photographing, writing game recaps, and tracking tournament statistical leaders and records.
He has been an active member of the College Sports Communicators (CSC) and regional committees during his communications career, serving as a voter on the D2CSC Atlantic Region Women’s Basketball Poll in 2023-24 and the NCBWA Atlantic Region Baseball Poll in 2024. In the CSC Creative & Digital Design Contests, he earned the first-ever awards in the 20 year history of the contest for the West Liberty Sports Information Office, as he oversaw the creation of two award winning media guides. The football media guide ranked fifth in the College Division and took home fourth place honors in the Best of Division II, while the women’s basketball media guide ranked ninth in the College Division.
The Primghar, Iowa, native received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports Administration from Upper Iowa University in August of 2021, and a Master of Science in Education in Sports Performance and Leadership from Northern State University in May of 2023. He currently resides in Deadwood, South Dakota.