CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced it will host a Kickoff Concert, featuring "American Idol" Winner Taylor Hicks, to officially open the 55th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Las Vegas. The concert will take place on the evening of Sunday, June 7, at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

"As the size of the NACDA & Affiliates Convention continues to grow, we are anticipating the largest gathering of athletics administrators in history to be with us in Las Vegas," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Bob Vecchione. "We are looking forward to having Taylor provide his award-winning talent and energy to everyone at the Kickoff Concert that will set the tone for a great few days of learning, networking and professional development."

For Hicks, winning "American Idol's" blockbuster fifth season was just the beginning. Hailed as "part Stax, part Motown and part honky-tonk" by The New York Times, Hicks' blend of soul, blues, country, and rock & roll quickly rendered him a household name as he progressed to the show's record-breaking finale in 2006, an historic television event which drew an audience of more than 200 million viewers.

Hicks immediately followed his Idol victory with a #1 Billboard single and an RIAA certified Platinum debut, and soon went on to make history as both the first male Idol champion featured on a GRAMMY-winning record and the first to land a prestigious Las Vegas residency. A versatile artist, actor and advocate, Hicks has since ventured into theater and television. After a lengthy hiatus from recording, Hicks returned in 2017 with "Six Strings and Diamond Rings," the first single since his 2009 sophomore album, "The Distance."

The track offers up a preview of Hicks' highly anticipated third album, a personal, roots-inspired collection recorded at Zac Brown's Southern Ground studio in Nashville with contributions from four-time GRAMMY®-winning musician Keb' Mo as well as Robert Randolph. Produced by Hicks along with GRAMMY®-winning guitarist Bryan Sutton (Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley), the album is due out this year and will bring Hicks back on the road for extensive touring.

Hotel and Convention registration for #NACDA2020 will go live on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 12 noon ET. Click here for more information.

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 55th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 15,700 college athletics administrators at more than 1,700 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.