Woodie Dixon, Jr. has gone from Minneapolis Washburn hockey, to Harvard Law, to the NFL, to the Pac-12 Conference
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 November 2015 09:52
By John Hamre
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Sports Illustrated has long had a feature called “Faces in the Crowd.” Young, rising stars of sport are briefly profiled with a photo and a couple sentences, while perhaps still relatively unknown on the national stage. Persons young or old in their sport are listed. Some of these “faces” are at the apex of their sporting career, while others have yet to fulfill their future superstardom. Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild, for example, was listed in “Faces” on Feb. 18, 2002, when he was a senior in high school playing at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. While many subsequently well-known superstars of sport have been profiled, there are so many more persons that the eyes of hindsight see could have been listed within “Faces in the Crowd,” too.
The late Tim Taylor coached men’s hockey for 30 years at Yale University and led the 1994 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team in Lillehammer, Norway. Taylor gave a camp-opening introductory speech late in his life to all players gathered at a USA Hockey National 15-year-old camp in Rochester, N.Y. In his speech he implored the players to “blossom where you are planted.” He told them not to worry so much what state they were from or where they thought they were going. Rather, he encouraged them to focus on fully developing and maximizing their own potential at the camp and into their futures.
When you are young, and a face in the crowd, how do you blossom in life? How does a young person fulfill his or her own potential – personally and in the opportunities of a career? Every person’s story and journey are unique unto themselves. Most successful people will readily attest to help received from mentors, opportunities presented and lessons of life received long ago that made their successes possible.
The story of Woodie Dixon, Jr. epitomizes these factors which impact upon a person’s life in a positive way. His athletic and competitive foundations are rooted within the Minneapolis Washburn Youth Hockey Association. In conversation, it is evident he remembers where he comes from. Various mentorships and opportunities helped him to grow through education earned at some of the finest academic institutions in the world. His work ethic continued to open more doors of professional opportunity as his career has developed. Professionally, he has become a significant leader within collegiate athletics and within the sports entertainment industry.
The story of Woodie Dixon, Jr. is also inspirational. His story can be held up as an affirming testimony to those willing to work as hard as he has within his education, athletic pursuits and career. His story provides testimony to the power of mentorship – to the important role played by those willing to reach out be mentors to others in a given field.
Dixon now serves as the General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs for the Pac-12 Conference. In his current role, Dixon oversees all legal, business and human resources affairs. He is also responsible for managing divisions of the broadcasting arm of the conference, the Pac-12 Networks.
How did Dixon get to this position of leadership within college athletics, at the Pac-12 Conference?
Dixon grew up in Minneapolis and played numerous youth sports, including hockey and soccer. He played youth hockey for the Washburn Youth Hockey Association, and went on to play high school hockey for the Washburn Millers. A 1991 Washburn High School graduate, in those days Minneapolis high schools were still fielding their own hockey teams, including Washburn, Southwest, Roosevelt, Edison and South. Washburn’s hockey coach when Dixon played was Jake McCoy.
“Woodie was a good athlete,” McCoy said. “A great family and a great kid. He worked his hardest for his team. He was a hard-working hockey player.”
Stephen Pflaum, an attorney and Amherst College supporter, saw Dixon play while he was playing hockey as an underclassmen for Washburn. After one game, Pflaum made his way to the Washburn locker room, introduced himself, and spoke about Amherst. Pflaum encouraged Dixon to consider applying to Amherst. The rest, as they say, is history. This meeting definitely affected the course of Dixon’s life, and perhaps was the turning point that put Dixon onto the career path to where he is now. Pflaum is, in most succinct terms, a highly respected attorney in Minneapolis. He is also a well regarded friend of Amherst. He has worked tirelessly and selflessly over many years to help connect bright, young high school scholars possessing a variety of talents and interests to the opportunity to apply to and attend Amherst.
“First of all, Woodie is a wonderful guy,” Pflaum said. “He is an extremely talented guy. He’s an absolute poster child for what you want to see in the academics for Amherst. We recruited him on the premise of being a hockey player. He graduated with honors from Amherst. I was always trying to find a couple of good kids for that college. He was bright enough and talented enough to sell to the hockey program – and he became a soccer star at Amherst.”
“There is no way growing up I was going to Amherst College without meeting Stephen Pflaum,” Dixon said. “I truly don’t go to Harvard Law without going to Amherst. It was truly a domino effect.”
Originally intending to play hockey at Amherst, Dixon also went out for the soccer team in the fall. While hockey had been an integral part of his life and helped to shape his core values, Dixon’s competitive hockey was finished.
“Thinking about two sports at Amherst is tough,” Dixon said on the academic rigors of Amherst and playing intercollegiate athletics. He focused his college years on his academics and soccer.
Upon graduating from Amherst in 1995, Dixon took a year off from his schooling. He returned to Minneapolis to help coach within the girls’ soccer program at Washburn High School. The next year he enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he graduated in 1999.
Dixon went on to practice law from 1999 through 2002, in both Minneapolis and Chicago. Yet, the passion for athletics and a continuing interest to pursue his education led him back east. There, he helped coach soccer at Amherst College, while earning his Master in sports management degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in 2003.
“Practicing law, I really figured out I had a passion for sports and entertainment,” Dixon said. “I had a passion for sports, and not just winning cases. I thought sports entertainment was more exciting.”
After completing is masters degree Dixon went to work in the NFL headquarters in New York City, during the era of commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Mentors are always important in the development of one’s career and life, and Dixon cited two persons at the NFL – Harold Henderson and Lisa Lazarus – in particular.
”They taught me how the league works, and I got to see how the economics and legal issues work out,” Dixon said. “That was a great place to learn. Going to a league office is a great place to work because you get to see how the league and every franchise operate.”
With NFL headquarters experience under his belt, the Kansas City Chiefs presented him the opportunity to serve as general counsel. He also served in the role of managing the Chiefs’ salary cap. Dixon served with the Chiefs for six years, from 2004-10.
“We went through three coaches, and we rebuilt Arrowhead Stadium,” Dixon said. “I got to see and be a part of all of that. Having that job was very unique.”
Since 2010, Dixon has been with the Pac-12. In his, role he oversees all legal and business affairs of the conference, and also manages football within Pac-12 operations. During his time with the Pac-12, Dixon has worked with and overseen the expansion of the conference from the Pac-10 to the Pac-12, groundbreaking media rights agreements with ESPN/FOX, the creation of the Pac-12 Networks and the Pac-12 Football Championship, and has had the opportunity to be involved in several transformation projects, including the first regular season NCAA basketball game played in China between the University of Washington and the University of Texas.
NCAA Division I athletics programs provide competitive athletic opportunities within higher education. They are also sports-entertainment and business entities on so many college campuses. There are three NCAA affiliated conference broadcast networks today: the Big Ten Network, the SEC Network and the Pac-12 Network. Of these three, the Pac-12 is the only conference to entirely own its broadcast network, and the Pac-12 Network was created under Dixon’s tenure. During his time with the Pac-12, Dixon has helped to lead dynamic growth of the conference, and he has influenced much growth and change of the sports-entertainment and broadcast platforms of college athletics.
Dixon discussed how his background in hockey helped develop and shape who he is today, and helped him progress throughout his career. He gives much credit to his youth hockey background, his high school coach, and his chance meeting Stephen Pflaum.
“Team sports in general and hockey specifically, a lot is where you’re born and grow up,” Dixon said. “Hockey is the ultimate team sport in Minnesota. Playing in an area like that where you’re competing. I remember not making a Squirt A team and crying – and then busting my butt to make the Squirt A team the next year. In high school we played a great schedule against Burnsville, Edina, Breck, Blake and so on. We were coached by an unbelievable teacher and coach. Hockey is a great team game because you learn shifts within the team game. I got my competitive juices and desire to be my best growing up playing hockey.”
I asked Dixon to share a couple of memories or stories that would help characterize the unique nature of his work, from his time working in the NFL and the Pac-12.
“When I got to the conference in 2010 we wanted to expand,” Dixon said. “The dream was to go from 10 schools to 16. Some of the possible schools to add included teams that were in the Big 12 Conference.
“We were flying around in little private planes, not announcing where we were going, checking into hotels under fictitious names. The bloggers were speculating where we were going. We were trying to convince schools to come to a model of a conference we thought was better. We thought we had Texas – they backed out, and then we got Colorado and Utah. My wife didn’t know where we were for a 10-day period. It was kind of a spy game.
“It tells you how important athletics can be and how fans follow it. We learned a lot about our schools, and then juxtaposed the new schools against our schools. It was interesting to compare a Washington and Oregon with a Texas or Oklahoma. This was probably one of the most interesting puzzles I’ve had to solve.”
Arizona State is a Pac-12 member institution. ASU’s hockey program is presently in its first year as an NCAA Division I hockey team. I asked Dixon if he could comment on the possibility of further ice-hockey expansion within the Pac-12.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Dixon said. “The tough thing about college athletics today is that there are a lot of new expenses, and they have to figure out how to pay for them. They’ve got a rink in Phoenix they can use. We have some schools that would be a great natural fit. I think there is some opportunity. On the flip side, hockey is not an easy sport to add – the equipment and need for an ice rink makes it tough as an add. A lot of people will look to Arizona State to see how it will be.”
Commenting on the Pac-12’s involvement with hockey to date, Dixon said, “We’ve helped the San Jose Sharks with their Frozen Four bid and will help where we can to bring hockey west.”
Dixon is married to Nicole Miller, his wife of 10 years. She is originally from Maple Grove and Osseo High School. They met while both were working at the Dorsey & Whitney law firm in Minneapolis. Together they have two children, Carver (6) and Marina (4). Dixon summarized his career development, and the influence growing up in hockey has had upon him.
“I think I try to blend the best parts of my education and competitiveness – but we’re also very family oriented in my Minnesotan roots,” Dixon said. “I’ve taken a very competitive professional path, but I don’t do it at the sacrifice of my family. That’s something you learn growing up in Minnesota. We certainly keep our Minnesotan roots. We get back twice a year. It’s a hard place to put in your rearview mirror.”
From Dixon’s roots in the Washburn Youth Hockey Association, he has graduated from the halls of Amherst College and Harvard Law, worked at the NFL headquarters and for the Kansas City Chiefs, and is now a leader shaping the present and future of collegiate athletics within the realm of the sports-entertainment industry.
To blossom where you are planted. Begin with the seeds of knowledge, motivation and perhaps a constructive competitiveness. Add the reins of mentorship, education, work ethic and opportunity to create the environment ripe for healthy growth. Anything is possible when you pursue your passion!
During a 22-year coaching career, John Hamre has coached PeeWee, Bantam, high school, NCAA Division I, Junior A and minor professional hockey. He was recently named Director of Hockey Operations for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team. Hamre was the video coach for the 1994 USA Men’s Olympic Team, coached within the USA Hockey NTDP, and at many USA Hockey festivals. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
