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Dan Novakov named Chairman of Cotton Bowl Athletic Association
ARLINGTON – North Texas attorney Daniel P. Novakov has been elected to a two-year term as Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA), the sponsoring agency of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.
Novakov has been a member of the Classic’s Board of Directors since 2006, and has served on the CBAA’s Executive Committee as Vice-Chairman the past four years. He is a shareholder in the Dallas office of the global law firm, Greenberg Traurig, LLP. His community involvement includes the Baylor Health Care System Foundation, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, the SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors, and leadership positions in various Catholic Diocese of Dallas agencies.
Novakov becomes the CBAA’s 38th Chairman. He succeeds Tommy Bain as the Classic’s CEO. Bain will remain on the Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chairman.
In his position as Chairman, Novakov will coordinate all facets of the CBAA's business affairs. He will oversee the AT&T Cotton Bowl’s first season as a member of the College Football Playoff. The 79th annual Classic moves to a Noon kickoff on January 1, 2015.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Novakov is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he was a three-year football letterman on the offensive line for the Irish under legendary coach and AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame member, Ara Parseghian. His association with the AT&T Cotton Bowl dates back to the 1970 Classic. Novakov was the starting left tackle for the Fighting Irish against Texas in college football’s centennial season. The following year he moved to center and helped lead Notre Dame to a repeat appearance in the 1971 Classic and a 24-11 defeat of the top-ranked Longhorns.
"I am honored and thrilled to serve as Chairman of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic,” said Novakov. “My first taste of Texas hospitality came during my sophomore year in college. Notre Dame had not participated in a bowl game in 45 years when it decided to resume post-season play by accepting an invitation to play in the 1970 Cotton Bowl.
“Needless to say, at that point in time I never dreamed that one day I would have the privilege to serve on the Cotton Bowl Board much less step into the role of Chairman,” said Novakov. “Having played in the Cotton Bowl twice and then having spent eight years on the Board of Directors, I’m fully aware of the importance of the AT&T Cotton Bowl to our community. Our goal is to provide the memory of a lifetime for both student-athletes and fans alike by making each Cotton Bowl game the finest college football experience in America. It certainly was for me.”
Novakov becomes the fourth former player to return to the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic as its Chairman, and the first player outside of the old Southwest Conference. He graduated from Cincinnati’s Moeller High School in 1968, earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Notre Dame in 1972, and obtained his Law degree from Notre Dame in 1976. Novakov acquired a Masters’ in Tax from SMU’s School of Law in 1984. Novakov and his wife Lydia are the parents of two children, Isabell and Daniel.
Joining Novakov and Bain on the Executive Committee are Kristi Sherrill Hoyl, Mark Keiffer, Jay McAuley and Jeff Williams. This will be the second term on the Executive Committee for McAuley, and the first for Hoyl, Keiffer and Williams.
Not only will Bain remain on the CBAA Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chairman, he moves into the role of Chairman for the Stadium Events Organizing Committee (SEOC). Under Bain’s guidance, the SEOC will serve as the host organization for the first national championship game of the College Football Playoff era on January 12, 2015. Bain is a 1971 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Architecture Construction, and earned his MBA from Trinity in 1975. He serves as President of Bain Development, a trading and investments firm in Dallas.
Hoyl is the Chief Government Affairs Officer for Baylor Scott & White Health, which is comprised of 43 hospitals, 92 outpatient facilities and 28 ambulatory surgery centers. Hoyl is responsible for setting the legislative agenda and cultivating relations at the local, state and federal level of government as they relate to health care issues. Previously in her career, Hoyl served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Dallas. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Masters’ of Public Administration from Texas A&M University.
Keiffer served as the President of Center Sales and Service of AT&T Inc., until his retirement in April, 2012. He held a number of positions within AT&T and SBC during his tenure with the company, including CEO and President of the Southwest Region, and Chief Marketing Officer of Business. Keiffer earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from East Central University in Ada, Okla., and a Masters’ in Business Management from Webster University in St. Louis.
McAuley is the President of the Texas Health Resources Foundation in Arlington, TX. He earned his undergraduate degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University and was a member of the Red Raiders’ football team from 1981-1984. Upon graduation in 1986, McAuley worked as an engineer in the petroleum industry. In 1992, he became Head Football Coach and Director of Alumni Relations at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas before moving into hospital fundraising with Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation in 2003.
Williams serves as President of Graham Associates and possesses more than 32 years of experience in civil engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech in 1981. Williams has been involved as project manager with a number of high-profile facilities in North Texas that include AT&T Stadium, The Ballpark in Arlington, Southlake Town Square, and The Parks Mall in Arlington. Recently, Williams was appointed to a committee by the Texas Department of Transportation to study the development of high-speed rail service between Dallas and Fort Worth. In 2010 he completed a two-year term as Chairman of the Board for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
