Saint Joseph's University Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner has been named to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, organization officials have announced. Bodensteiner joins Kevin Blue, Bob Bowlsby, and Kirk Schulz as new members selected to the Knight Commission.

"The Knight Commission's legacy of impact is due to the participation of exceptional thought leaders like Kevin, Jill, Bob, and Kirk," said Knight Foundation president and CEO Maribel Pérez Wadsworth. "At Knight Foundation, we are proud to support the Commission's independent efforts during this dynamic time of change in college sports."

Collectively, the new members bring the benefits of decades of senior leadership experience in intercollegiate athletics at Division I institutions. Bob Bowlsby's 45-year career in college sports includes serving as athletics director at the University of Iowa, Stanford University, and as the Big 12 Commissioner. Jill Bodensteiner is in her seventh year as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, after serving for 20 years at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. After more than a decade in Division I athletics administration, most recently as the Director of Athletics at the University of California, Davis, Kevin Blue currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and General Secretary of Canada Soccer. Kirk Schulz has more than 15 years of presidential experience leading institutions with athletics programs competing in the Big 12 and Pac-12 Conferences.

Knight Commission Co-Chair Pamela Bernard said, "The career accomplishments of Kevin, Jill, Bob, and Kirk as leaders in college sports and higher education speak for themselves. Even more impressive is the respect each has earned from their peers for their collaborative and thoughtful work with others."

"We are grateful that Kevin, Jill, Bob, and Kirk are joining our work," said Knight Commission Co-Chair Len Elmore. "Each is committed to the life-changing opportunities that college sports can provide to young women and men."

Bodensteiner is in her seventh year as Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia after a 20-year career at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. Bodensteiner leads the Hawks' program with nearly 500 student-athletes who compete in 21 NCAA Division I sports as well as the Campus Recreation Department. After spending her first 10 years as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel, Bodensteiner moved to the Notre Dame Athletics department in July 2009, where she was responsible for governance, legal issues, and the department's sport administration program.

Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, Bodensteiner received her undergraduate degree and her MBA from Notre Dame, and her JD from Washington University in St. Louis.

About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission, founded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989, is an independent group that leads transformational change to prioritize college athletes' education, health, safety, and success. The Commission has a legacy of influencing NCAA policies that have helped propel record-high graduation rates of Division I athletes. The Commission's ongoing efforts focus on governance, equity, and financial reforms, as well as providing education on the changing landscape of college sports. For more, visit knightcommission.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.