Benner: A Fond Farewell

Bill Benner has served as the Senior Associate Commissioner for Operations and Communications for over three years. On his final day in the office, he shares one final perspectives piece.

After three years, four months and eight days, today is my last with Horizon League. I am leaving to become Senior Vice President of Corporate, Community and Public Relations with Pacers Sports & Entertainment. That is the corporate entity that oversees the NBA Pacers, WNBA Fever and all the other events that come to Indianapolis’s Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Nearing the final stages of a professional career that spans more than 40 years, they made me a wonderful offer I simply couldn’t refuse. Looks like my game will go into overtime.

As some of you know, before I became involved in sports administration, I was a sportswriter and columnist for The Indianapolis Star for more than three decades.

From that detached perch, it was easy to look at college athletics and sit in judgment of all its perceived wrongs and foibles.

I thought (and often wrote) how hard can this be?

Now I know. It can be really, really hard.

For most of us in the Horizon League – whether at the conference or institutional level – this is a labor of love, not largesse. The hours are long and the challenges are many and unceasing. Our institutions seek market relevance; they opt for integrity and try to adhere to the myriad rules; they compete in the same sandbox against programs with 10 times the budget; they try to build and maintain top-quality facilities; they compete for donors and supporters; they self-govern through our bylaws and operating regulations.

One decision begets another. Membership alters the landscape. Scheduling becomes a Rubik’s cube. And of course, everyone competes. Everyone wants to win.

It is hard. Difficult. Time consuming.

But then there are the rewards, and they go beyond a school-record time or a league championship or a game-winning goal.

It’s those young people that we recruit and nurture. It’s the relationships that are forged among coaches and student-athletes, or among administrators, whether they are athletic directors or women’s administrators or faculty reps or the folks who market  or maintain the facilities, or those great, hard-working sports information staffers. There’s a camaraderie, and it’s special.

Even in my relative short time with the HL, we’ve had our highs and lows. Butler’s Final Fours, and Butler’s departure. Loyola leaving, Oakland coming. The continued success of the Green Bay women’s basketball program. National television exposure. Upsets over power conference teams in all sports. Increases in both APR and GSR scores. The Horizon League Network … in HD and still the leader in the field. And barely a rules blemish … the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions is not on our speed dial.

In balance, there’s far more to celebrate than to rue.

One of the things that instantly made an impression on me in my first year was how incredibly competitive this league is. Virtually every game or match is a meat grinder. And our coaches, from the young up-and-comers to the grizzled vets, are excellent. They get the best out of what they have.

The other thing was my first encounters with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members. Wow, what a group, and it continues to replenish itself with the best of the best.  I’d always walk away from SAAC gatherings thinking, if those kids are the future of America, then America is in a lot better shape than we might believe.

In closing, I want to say thank you to all in the League … those who welcomed me was an “outsider” into your midst, and those with whom I forged solid relationships as time went on. Keep on keepin’ on, as they say, and know I’ll be rooting for all our schools and teams.

Finally, I am so proud of the staff with whom I’ve worked here at the League office. I was fortunate enough to hire three young superstars – Bill Potter, Craig Hammel and most recently, Brett Williams – to the communications staff and I humbly submit they have (and will continue to do so) made a tremendously positive impact. Beth Opell is a financial whiz with the best laugh and personality a “bean-counter” ever had. Cindy French is the ultimate multi-tasker. Don’t know how she keeps all those balls in the air. Christine Halstead, a former HL student-athlete, is destined for a great career in athletics administration. Former NCAAer Wayne Burrow has an unrivaled work ethic and commitment to excellence. Kyle Fairchild, just coming on board, is an outstanding addition. Even our intern, former Green Bay student-athlete (golf) Cam Fuller, is performing like a seasoned pro. And I also need to give a shout-out to Stephanie Jarvis, who taught me so much before she moved on to the Fiesta Bowl.

Ah, but the two at the top.

Alfreeda Goff is simply one of the most wonderful, caring, competent, capable people I’ve ever known in athletics. She is universally respected as a pioneer, mentor and leader. She’s also possesses timeless energy. She is amazing.

And the Commish, Mr. LeCrone. My takeaway from Jon is his passion for the student-athletes and their total experience, the “collegial” model that he champions for Division I, his broad and diverse thinking about the enterprise, his insistence that we do business and conduct ourselves the right way, his national reputation as a thought leader, his ability to interact with all the varied HL constituencies and personalities …oh and the fact that he’s pretty good with a golf club.

The challenges for Division I athletics in general and the Horizon League in particular are sure to continue and possibly to grow. The landscape is hardly settled. You couldn’t have a better person to address those challenges than Jon LeCrone.

So my best to you all. In NO particular order, Go Raiders, Go Penguins, Go Flames, Go Phoenix, Go Crusaders, Go Vikings, Go Titans, Go Panthers, Go Grizzlies. You’re all part of a great league. Be aspirational. Go for it. I’ll be watching on the HLN!