INDIANAPOLIS --- Joni Comstock, currently the director of athletics and recreational sports at American University, has accepted a position on the NCAA staff as senior vice president for championships. She will also serve as the Association’s senior woman administrator. Comstock will assume her new duties September 29, at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis.

In her new position, Comstock will report directly to NCAA President Myles Brand and oversee 84 championships each year, in addition to supervising the statistics and playing rules staffs and the administrators for the 84 championships. Comstock is very familiar with NCAA championships, having served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and as the Committee’s chair since September 2005.

"Joni emerged from a very strong field of candidates as the new senior vice president because of her experience at the local, conference and national levels,” said Brand. “Her efforts at both the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and at American University have been characterized by strong leadership and visionary growth.”

"Joni also presented strong national involvement in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee and, most recently, as its chair,” Brand added. “She clearly has a firm grasp of how championships can enhance the student-athlete experience and how to ensure that the experience is positive. We are fortunate to have someone of her talent and experience heading up our championships operation.”

Comstock joined American University in 2003, where she was responsible for 16 NCAA Division I sports programs, its recreational sports and its athletics facilities. She managed an administrative staff of 70 and an athletics program that included 260 student-athletes. Her accomplishments include optimizing the development, marketing, promotions and event sponsorship at the university, which led to a 200 percent growth in gifts and 40 percent growth in departmental revenue.

"I’m proud to join the NCAA staff and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues at the national office and within membership, to further advance the great work done on NCAA championships and to continue the enhancement of the student-athlete experience,” said Comstock. “I’m very excited about my leadership role as the senior woman administrator and my commitment as an advocate of women competing in intercollegiate athletics,” she added.

Comstock also was director of athletics at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, from 2000-03, where she is credited with improving the departmental environment and participation levels with respect to gender equity without the elimination of any athletics programs. She instituted a development campaign for the construction of a new indoor arena and offices, and created a successful atmosphere within the sports programs, which included a first-ever berth and first-round victory for the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

She was senior associate director of athletics at Purdue University from 1989 - 2000, where she led the marketing and promotions plans for women’s basketball to earn attendance rankings as high as second in the nation during the season. She was also instrumental in developing program success at Purdue as a member of the athletics administration when Purdue’s women’s basketball team won the 1999 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. 

Additionally, Comstock was assistant director of athletics at the University of Illinois, Champaign, (1983-89), where she was responsible for the marketing, promotions and special events campaigns for women’s sports programs. In her role at Illinois, she also assisted with compliance issues and supervised sports camps and clinics for all sports. She began her career as a coach and instructor of volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s basketball at Lincoln College (1979-83) in Lincoln, Illinois.

Comstock earned her bachelor’s from Eastern Illinois University; her master’s from Illinois State University; and her doctorate from Illinois. She is currently on the board of directors for the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics Administrators and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.