Ryan Prickett is in his 21st year as Sports Information Director at Fort Hays State University in 2025-26. He became director in June of 2005 and oversees media relations and communications for all of Fort Hays State’s 19 intercollegiate athletic programs.
Prickett has been involved in Fort Hays State’s sports information department for 27 years as a student assistant, graduate assistant, and now head director. He worked under former Fort Hays State Sports Information Directors Jack Kuestermeyer, Steve Webster and Jason McCullough.
Prickett is a member of College Sports Communicators, formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is responsible for writing, editing and designing all of Fort Hays State University’s athletic publications. He is also responsible for statistical operations and media relations at home athletic events, along with maintaining and writing releases for the official athletic website of Fort Hays State University Athletics (www.fhsuathletics.com) and managing Fort Hays State's athletic social media accounts. Prickett also serves as a historian of Fort Hays State Athletics by maintaining and enhancing record books for all sports, while actively researching each program's past to enhance historical data. He works with local and national media to help promote the accomplishments of over 500 active student-athletes at FHSU.
Prickett has received national accolades multiple times by College Sports Communicators while at FHSU. He has amassed 22 Citation of Excellence awards from the organization for his publications, design, and photography combined. He has six "Best in Nation" honors from the organization. In 2023-24, CSC began awarding "Best Of" distinctions for the different levels within the College Division, which includes NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. He has two of these honors, once for his photography work in 2023-24 and once for poster design in 2024-25.
In 2022-23, Prickett was named the CSC Photographer of the Year nationally for the College Division, the first year the organization bestowed an award for the photography and graphic design work of its membership. It was the sixth "Best in Nation" honor during his career at Fort Hays State, given to the top honoree in each category of recognition from the organization.
In 2011, Prickett teamed with graduate assistant Doug Self to earn Best in Nation honors for the 2011 Fort Hays State Volleyball Media Guide. In 2014, the volleyball media guide once again earned Best in Nation honors when Prickett teamed with graduate assistant Andrew Sogn. In 2015-16, Prickett earned Best in Nation honors for his women’s basketball media guide. Prickett earned two Best in Nation honors in 2016-17 for his men’s basketball media guide and volleyball media guide cover. He produced the top volleyball media guide in NCAA Division II four consecutive years (2011-2014).
Prickett currently serves as the Central Region Coordinator for the D2CCA Division II Men's Soccer All-America Team and a regional and national voter for the D2CSC Division II Men's Basketball Top 25 Poll. He helps organize and serves as a voting board member for the annual FHSU Tiger Sports Hall of Fame. Prickett has also served as a head media contact and coordinator for conference and NCAA championship events hosted in Hays during his tenure, as well as Kansas State High School Activities Association State Championships held in Hays for four sports.
Several graduate assistants and student workers have found success in athletic operations after working under Prickett at Fort Hays State - positions at the pro sports level including the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and Major League Soccer (MLS), along with collegiate positions at the NCAA Division I and II levels, including the annual Alamo Bowl football game. Nine of Prickett's former assistants moved on to become sports information directors at either the NCAA Division I and II levels, or junior college level.
A native of Salina, Kan., Prickett earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 2003 and a master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2005 from Fort Hays State University. He and his wife, Stacy, reside in Hays.
