Jill Bodensteiner Named New Horizon League Commissioner, Departing St. Joseph’s University After Transformative Tenure
INDIANAPOLIS – In a significant leadership shift within collegiate athletics, the Horizon League Board of Directors announced Thursday that Jill Bodensteiner has been selected as the conference’s seventh commissioner. Bodensteiner, currently the Vice President and Director of Athletics at St. Joseph’s University (SJU), will officially assume her new role on April 15, 2026. She succeeds interim commissioner Christine Neuman, who has led the league since December 2025 following the departure of Julie Roe Lach.
Deep Search: A Strategic Hire for a Volatile Era
Bodensteiner’s appointment comes at a critical juncture for the Indianapolis-based conference, which is navigating the complex waters of NCAA realignment and the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era. Her selection signals the Horizon League’s intent to leverage her legal acumen and policy expertise. Bodensteiner is not a traditional athletic director; she spent 20 years at the University of Notre Dame, beginning in the Office of the General Counsel before rising to Senior Associate Athletics Director.
During her eight-year tenure at St. Joseph’s University, Bodensteiner was credited with revitalizing the Hawks’ athletic department. Her administration oversaw more than $80 million in facility upgrades, including the renovation of the O’Pake Fitness & Recreation Center and the Maguire Athletic Center. Competitively, she shepherded the field hockey program to its first NCAA National Championship game appearance and saw both men’s and women’s lacrosse capture conference titles.
Crucially for her new role, Bodensteiner has established herself as a national voice on regulatory issues. She notably testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the future of college sports, advocating for congressional intervention to stabilize the NIL landscape—a background that likely appealed to Horizon League presidents facing an uncertain regulatory future.
Background Info: The Horizon League’s Shifting Landscape
The Horizon League itself is in a period of transition. The conference is set to expand to 12 members with the addition of Northern Illinois University regarding non-football sports on July 1, 2026. This move is part of a broader realignment strategy to shore up the conference’s stability in the Midwest.
Bodensteiner returns to her home state of Indiana to take the helm. “I am incredibly grateful to the Horizon League Board of Directors for the opportunity to lead the Horizon League,” Bodensteiner said in a statement. Her deep ties to the region and her experience at Notre Dame are expected to facilitate a smooth transition as the league headquarters remains in Indianapolis.
At St. Joseph’s, Eric Laudano, the executive senior associate athletics director, has been named the interim AD while the university conducts a national search for a permanent replacement.
Objections and Challenges: The Road Ahead
Despite the optimism surrounding her hiring, Bodensteiner faces immediate and significant hurdles. Critics of the current mid-major model point out that conferences like the Horizon League are increasingly vulnerable. The financial disparity between the “Power 4” conferences and leagues like the Horizon is widening, exacerbated by the impending revenue-sharing models that may leave smaller conferences struggling to compete.
Furthermore, some industry observers have expressed skepticism about the stability of the league’s membership. While the addition of Northern Illinois is a positive step, the “revolving door” of conference realignment remains a persistent threat. There are also concerns regarding the league’s recent restructuring of its basketball tournament, which some analysts have described as a “band-aid” solution to deeper engagement issues. Bodensteiner will need to prove that the Horizon League can offer a viable, competitive product in a media landscape dominated by football-centric powers, a challenge that has only intensified since her predecessor’s exit.
Her stance on NIL—advocating for guardrails rather than a purely free-market approach—may also face resistance from proponents of aggressive athlete compensation models, potentially creating friction as she attempts to unify the league’s diverse membership under a single policy framework.
Conclusion
Jill Bodensteiner’s move to the commissioner’s chair represents a homecoming and a promotion to one of the most challenging seats in college sports. As she prepares to leave Hawk Hill, she leaves behind a modernized infrastructure but steps into a role requiring urgent solutions for long-term conference survival. Her tenure begins mid-April.
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