Karl Benson
{{Short description|American conference commissioner}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Karl Benson
| image = KarlBenson.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = Benson at the Play the Game Conference in 2019
| sport =
| current_title =
| current_team =
| current_conference =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1951|12|1}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Spokane Falls Community College
Boise State University (BS)
University of Utah (MA)
| player_years1 = 1971–1972
| player_team1 = Spokane Falls CC
| player_years2 = 1973–1975
| player_team2 = Boise State
| player_positions = infielder
| coach_years1 = 1976–1981
| coach_team1 = Fort Steilacoom CC
| coach_years2 = 1984–1986
| coach_team2 = Utah (assistant)
| admin_years1 = 1979–1984
| admin_team1 = Fort Steilacoom CC
| admin_years2 = 1984–1986
| admin_team2 = Utah (Administrative Assistant)
| admin_years3 = 1986–1987
| admin_team3 = NCAA (Compliance Representative)
| admin_years4 = 1987–1988
| admin_team4 = NCAA (Assistant Director of Championships)
| admin_years5 = 1988–1990
| admin_team5 = NCAA (Director of Championships)
| admin_years6 = 1990–1994
| admin_team6 = Mid-American Conference (commissioner)
| admin_years7 = 1994–2012
| admin_team7 = Western Athletic Conference (commissioner)
| admin_years8 = 2012–2019
| admin_team8 = Sun Belt Conference (commissioner)
| overall_record =
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Karl David Benson (born December 1, 1951) is a former college baseball coach and college athletics administrator. Benson last served as the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) from 2012 until his retirement in June 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/staff.aspx?staff=6|title=Karl Benson - Staff Directory|website=sunbeltsports.org|language=en|access-date=2020-01-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/ul/2019/03/19/gill-replace-benson-commissioner-sun-belt-conference/3212086002/|title=Sun Belt names new commissioner Keith Gill to replace Karl Benson|last=Buckley|first=Tim|website=The Advertiser|language=en|access-date=2020-01-07}}{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Matthew |date=February 17, 2012 |title=Sun Belt Conference ‘the right fit’ for Benson |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/feb/17/sun-belt-conference-right-fit-benson-20120217/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 2, 2025 |work=Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette |location=Fayetteville, Arkansas |page=20}} Previously, Benson was the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) from 1990 to 1994 and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 1994 to 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/general/roster/karl-benson/598|title=Karl Benson - General|website=National Football Foundation|language=en|access-date=2020-01-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-commissioner-karl-benson-to-retire-in-june-after-seven-year-run/|title=Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson to retire in June after seven-year run|website=CBSSports.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-07}}
Early life and Education
Benson grew up in Pullman, Washington{{Cite web |title=Pac-12 learns the hard way: The one constant in college sports is change |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/pac-12-learns-the-hard-way-the-one-constant-in-college-sports-is-change |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US}} and graduated from Pullman High School in 1970. He played for the school's football, basketball, and baseball teams.{{Cite news |last=Bauer |first=Doug |date=September 22, 2005 |title=Benson makes his way backto the Palouse; WAC commissioner, Pullman High grad will be on hand for Saturday's Idaho-Hawaii game |url=https://www.dnews.com/local-news-northwest/benson-makes-his-way-backto-the-palouse-wac-commissioner-pullman-high-grad-will-be-on-hand-for-saturdays-idaho-hawaii-game-45f873e6 |url-status=live |access-date=April 2, 2025 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=Moscow, Idaho |language=en |no-pp=y}}{{Cite news |date=March 12, 2016 |title=CC Spokane will induct 16 individuals, two teams into hall of fame |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/mar/12/cc-spokane-will-induct-16-individuals-two-teams-in/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 2, 2025 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |language=en |no-pp=y}}
Benson spent his first two years of his undergraduate education at Spokane Falls Community College and played for its baseball team for its 1971 and 1972 seasons. The college's head coach Bill Johnson described Benson as a "hardworking, competitive young man who accepted the role of leader and role model for his teammates". Benson was inducted into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.{{Cite web |author-link=Spokane Falls Community College |title=Hall of Fame - Baseball |url=https://sfcc.spokane.edu/Athletics/Fan-Zone/Hall-of-Fame/Baseball-HOF |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Spokane Falls Community College}}
Benson then transferred to and continued his college baseball career at Boise State University: where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical education in 1975.{{Cite web |last=Buckley |first=Tim |title=Sun Belt suspends umpiring crew from Robichaux incident |url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2014/05/02/sun-belt-suspends-umpiring-crew/8630217/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=The Daily Advertiser |place=Lafayette, Louisiana |language=en-US}}
Benson also graduated with a master's degree in athletics management from the University of Utah.{{Cite news |author-link=Associated Press |date=April 19, 1994 |title=6 schools set to join the WAC |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HS19940419.1.12&srpos=1&e=--1951-----en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22karl+benson%22+AND+%22university+of+utah%22------- |access-date=April 1, 2025 |work=Hanford Sentinel |location=Hanford, California |pages=12 |language=en |via=California Digital Newspaper Collection |issue=109}}
Career
Upon graduation, Benson became the head coach of Fort Steilacoom Community College (n/k/a Pierce College) from 1976-1981. Benson got his first Athletic Administration job by serving as the college's athletic director from 1979-1984.
From 1984-1986, Benson left Fort Steilacoom CC to become both a coaching assistant to the Utah Utes baseball team and an administrative assistant to the Utah Utes athletics department.
In January 1986, Benson left Utah to work for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) initially as a Compliance Representative, then promoted to Assistant Director of Championships in June 1987 and, finally, Director of Championships in 1988. As assistant director of championships, Benson played a role in coordinating the NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships to the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City for the 1989 and 1992 seasons.{{Cite news |last=McConnell |first=Jerry |date=March 19, 1989 |title=Tourney Problems Few, Far Between |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1989/03/19/tourney-problems-few-far-between/62620191007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808222103/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1989/03/19/tourney-problems-few-far-between/62620191007/ |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |access-date=April 4, 2025 |work=The Oklahoman |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |language=en |no-pp=y}} As the director of championships, Benson "actively supervised eight assistant directors in their administration of 68 NCAA championships".
In 1990, Benson became the 5th commissioner of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). During his four years with the MAC, Benson oversaw the University of Akron becoming the 10th member of the conference in 1992.{{Cite web |author-link=United Press International |date=June 20, 1991 |title=Akron asked to join MAC - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/06/20/Akron-asked-to-join-MAC/8931677390400/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/8aIuv |archive-date=April 11, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=UPI |language=en}} Benson was also partly responsible for forming the Las Vegas Bowl starting in the 1992 season; which continued to give a each team from both the MAC and the Big West Conference a bowl tie-in after the California Raisin Bowl ceased operations the year before.{{Cite web |author-link=National Collegiate Athletic Association |date=December 31, 2013 |title=History: Las Vegas Bowl |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2013-12-05/history-las-vegas-bowl |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826211327/http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2013-12-05/history-las-vegas-bowl |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |access-date=April 11, 2025 |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)}}
In 1994, Benson became the 5th commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). During his eighteen years with the WAC, Benson oversaw the conference's membership changing during conference realignment. Benson also coordinated multi-year sports broadcasting deals for the conference to broadcast the conference's football, men's basketball, and women's basketball teams with ABC Sports, ESPN,{{Cite web |last=Sorensen |first=Mike |date=1994-07-24 |title=WAC SIGNS TV DEAL WITH ABC, ESPN |url=https://www.deseret.com/1994/7/24/19121537/wac-signs-tv-deal-with-abc-espn/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.deseret.com/1994/7/24/19121537/wac-signs-tv-deal-with-abc-espn/ |archive-date=April 6, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=WAC reaches new TV deal with ESPN - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/06/21/WAC-reaches-new-TV-deal-with-ESPN/8990993096000/ |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=UPI |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2004-07-30 |title=WAC inks new deal with folks at ESPN |url=https://www.deseret.com/2004/7/30/19842753/wac-inks-new-deal-with-folks-at-espn/ |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Eborn |first=Jared |date=2008-09-04 |title=WAC rewarded with big ESPN contract |url=https://www.deseret.com/2008/9/4/20272845/wac-rewarded-with-big-espn-contract/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/FclFG |archive-date=April 11, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} SportsWest,{{Cite web |date=2003-07-21 |title=Western Athletic Conference signs television broadcast contract with SportsWest |url=https://latechsports.com/news/2003/7/21/Western_Athletic_Conference_signs_television_broadcast_contract_with_SportsWest#:~:text=--%20Western%20Athletic%20Conference%20Commissioner%20Karl%20Benson,point%20broadcasting%20capability%20--%20will%20bring%20heightened |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=LA Tech Athletics |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=Checketts and Soros to Invest $25 Million in CSTV - The New York Times |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506042249/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/sports/checketts-and-soros-to-invest-25-million-in-cstv.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=web.archive.org}} and Fox Sports Networks.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-11 |title=WAC-KY STUFF: FOX SPORTS FINALIZES TV DEAL WITH CONFERENCE |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1999/06/09/Sports-Media/WAC-KY-STUFF-FOX-SPORTS-FINALIZES-TV-DEAL-WITH-CONFERENCE/ |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=Sports Business Journal |language=en}}
On February 16, 2012,{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Wes |date=2012-02-16 |title=Karl Benson named new Sun Belt commissioner |url=https://www.troymessenger.com/2012/02/16/karl-benson-named-new-sun-belt-commissioner/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=The Troy Messenger |language=en}} Benson became the 5th commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). During his seven years with the SBC, Benson oversaw the addition of the five following universities that most recently competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and to replace its outgoing members located in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida: Appalachian State University, Coastal Carolina University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, and Texas State University. Benson also extended the conference's television deal with ESPN, the conference's primary and sole sports broadcasting partner, into the 2027-28 season. Additionally, any game not selected to broadcast on ESPN's linear television networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU) would be streamed on ESPN+.{{Cite web |date=2018-03-01 |title=Sun Belt and ESPN agree to new TV contract through 2027-28 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/sun-belt-espn-agree-new-tv-contract-2027-28-203826284.html |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}
After leaving the Sun Belt Conference, Benson became an associate for CarrSports Consulting: A Florida-based consulting company that conducts nationwide searches for athletic administrators and athletics management.{{Cite web |title=Former Conference Commissioner Karl Benson Joins CarrSports Consulting – CarrSports Consulting |url=https://www.carrsportsconsulting.com/former-conference-commissioner-karl-benson-joins-carrsports-consulting/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-US}}
Personal life
Benson has a daughter named Jessica.
Benson currently resides in Denver with his second wife: Sarah Glaza. The couple married in October 2016.{{Cite web |last=McElwain |first=John |date=2018-08-16 |title=Sun Belt commissioner Benson announces he will leave position |url=https://crescentcitysports.com/sun-belt-commissioner-benson-to-announce-he-will-leave-position/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Crescent City Sports |language=en-US |publication-place=Kenner, Louisiana |no-pp=y}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://sunbeltsports.org/staff.aspx?staff=6 Sun Belt Conference bio]
{{Mid-American Conference commissioner navbox}}
{{Western Athletic Conference commissioner navbox}}
{{Sun Belt Conference commissioner navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Karl}}
Category:Mid-American Conference commissioners
Category:Sun Belt Conference commissioners
Category:Western Athletic Conference commissioners
Category:Boise State Broncos baseball players
Category:Spokane Falls Bigfoot baseball players
Category:Utah Utes baseball coaches
{{US-sport-bio-stub}}
Category:University of Utah alumni
Category:Boise State University alumni
Category:People from Washington (state)
Category:National Collegiate Athletic Association people