The old Spencer Center on the Colorado College campus was the work home for Dave Moross for most of the nearly three decades he was sports information director at the small private college nestled in a neighborhood near downtown Colorado Springs.
A couple of years ago, his office was moved to newer quarters, but the location didn’t matter. Come fall, Moross would be preparing for the upcoming college hockey season. Over the years, Colorado College had stood toe to toe with the big boys of college hockey.
But this fall, Moross isn’t busy putting together information on the Tigers for the 2014-15 hockey season. He retired three months ago and is taking his time deciding on his next journey.
“I was at CC two weeks shy of 28 years,” Moross said. “Now I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do next.”
Moross could fill most of his spare time relating stories he encountered publicizing CC’s sports history.
He might begin by recounting the exploits of “Sudden Death” Sabol, a fictional character who gained national attention for CC’s football team until the hoax was exposed. Steve Sabol, who went on to become president of NFL Films, instigated the plot.
“Sudden Death” was before Moross’ time at CC, but football coaches Jerry Carle and Frank Flood still were fixtures on campus when Moross arrived. He was on call as the point man in charge of keeping the story going.
There were other highlights, such as the coaching legend of Horst Richardson in men’s soccer and the work of Ted Castaneda in track and field and cross country. But hockey was Moross’ passion.
“We suffered through some lean years, but hockey was the big sport,” Moross said. “We went to three Frozen Fours, but we never won it.”
The Tigers came close in 1996 but lost in overtime to Michigan in the national championship game.
Moross probably spent more time at the old Broadmoor World Arena than anyone else. He figures he missed only a handful of home games in 28 seasons.
“We played the last game ever played in the World Arena,” Moross recalled. “Our last season was 1993-94, and by that time, we needed a new arena.”
The Tigers played hockey at the Air Force Academy for more than three seasons before a new World Arena was opened off the Broadmoor Hotel grounds in January 1998.
He has unforgettable memories of the CC-University of Denver hockey series and working the 1978 and 1979 National Sports Festivals, when the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team was formed. It went on to become the Miracle on Ice team that won the gold medal in Lake Placid.
Moross figures his days as a sportswriter at the Colorado Springs Sun prepared him for becoming a sports information director. When the Sun ceased publication in 1986, Moross waited tables at a Colorado Springs restaurant before landing the job at CC.
“I never could have become a sports information director without the newspaper experience,” Moross said. “I’ll probably miss some aspects of the job. But I won’t miss the seven-day work weeks and the weekend nights on the job. It’s nice to not have those things hanging over my head.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
Moross bio
Born: June 2, 1951, in Highland Park, Mich.
High school: Notre Dame in Harper Woods, Mich.
College: Michigan State
Family: Wife Amy, daughters Shannon, Kristi, Kelly, Jessie and Madison
Hobbies: Mountain climbing, hiking
To-do list: Add to the 21 Colorado fourteeners he has climbed.
Residence: Colorado Springs
