PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph's University President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, has announced that Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner, JD, will be stepping down from her position on April 15, 2026, to accept the role of Horizon League Commissioner.
 
"Jill is a national leader in intercollegiate athletics," says University President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD. "We are profoundly grateful for her vision, dedication and service to the Hawks. She leaves our athletics program strong and well-positioned for continued success. We wish her the best on her return home to Indiana and her role with the Horizon League."
 
During her tenure at SJU, Bodensteiner helped to shape intercollegiate athletics policy at the highest levels, including testifying at a U.S. Congressional Hearing on NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). In 2024, she was named Nike Division I Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in Sports for her deep expertise and involvement in collegiate athletics and the success of the Hawks on and off the court and field. 
 
The following year, Bodensteiner was selected to the prestigious Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics where she and the Commission focus on governance, equity, and financial reforms, as well as provide education on the changing landscape of college sports. Additionally, Bodensteiner has served several high-level NCAA appointments including: Division I Council NIL Working Group, Committee on Academics, and the Division I Women's Basketball Committee.
 
Bodensteiner ushered a new era of Hawk athletics and historic competitive achievements: Field hockey became the first program in University history to advance to a NCAA National Championship game (2024), while men's and women's lacrosse both captured conference titles and made inaugural NCAA Tournament appearances. On the court, men's basketball won consecutive Big 5 Classic titles and earned back-to-back postseason appearances (2024, 2025), while women's basketball made three straight postseason tournaments (2023, 2024, 2025) and captured the 2023-24 Big 5 crown. Additionally, baseball earned a landmark Atlantic 10 Regular Season title in 2023, and softball hosted the A-10 Championship for the first time in program history after winning the conference's 2021 North Division title.
 
Beyond competitive success, Bodensteiner championed a culture of excellence and belonging, prioritized the holistic development of student-athletes, and led significant capital investments in facilities. Paramount to those points were the creation of the Maguire Athletic Center and renovation of O'Pake Fitness & Recreation Center. Alongside the state-of-the-art facilities, Bodensteiner helped broaden opportunities for student-athletes with the founding of the Division I women's golf program, and Esports program and lab.
 
A cornerstone during her tenure, Bodensteiner has overseen the Hawks' continued growth and success in the classroom. Over the past three years, Saint Joseph's student-athletes have posted cumulative GPAs higher than the general student body. Ranking among the top schools in the nation with a 95% graduation rate, the Hawks had 311 student-athletes named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
A national search for Bodensteiner's successor will begin in the coming weeks. 
 
Following Bodensteiner's departure, Eric Laudano, executive senior associate athletics director, will serve as interim athletic director while a search is conducted. 
 
About Saint Joseph's University
Founded in 1851 as Philadelphia's Jesuit university, Saint Joseph's University prepares students for a rapidly changing world by focusing on academic excellence and courageous exploration. With an intellectual tradition distinguished by a foundational liberal arts core and diversified by strong professional programs in business, nursing, health and science, and education, Saint Joseph's students are empowered, challenged and supported by high-quality faculty members to follow their own path. As a comprehensive university with locations in Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, undergraduate and graduate students study in the University's five schools and colleges — the College of Arts and Sciences, the Erivan K. Haub School of Business, the School of Education and Human Development, the School of Health Professions and the School of Nursing and Allied Health. With academic offerings in the most sought-after majors, including leading programs in the first-in-the-nation Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, a Saint Joseph's education is enriched through the University's network of cooperative education employers, clinical placements and professional internships. Outside of the classroom, the University's Division I student-athletes compete at the highest levels in 21 different sports. Upon graduation, nearly 100% of students are employed, pursuing advanced degrees or volunteering in prestigious service programs. The University's network of more than 110,000 proud alumni keep alive the rallying cry — The Hawk Will Never Die.