Bodensteiner Named Nike Division I Executive of the Year By Women Leaders in Sports

Women Leaders is committed to recognizing the achievements and successes of women working in sports. Celebrating their accomplishments is an integral piece of advancing women in sports.

"It has been the honor of my life to serve the incredible student-athletes at St. Joe's for the past six years. I consider this to be a team recognition because our student-athletes, coaches and administrators support and challenge each other every day to be the best that we can be," said Bodensteiner. "I am also so grateful to Women Leaders in Sports for everything they have done for me personally, and for our entire profession."

"We are thrilled to celebrate this group of outstanding women who are blazing trails in the sports industry," Women Leaders CEO Patti Phillips said. "During one of the most unprecedented years in women's amateur and professional sports as well as one of the more unsettling years in sports in general, these women have exhibited exceptional leadership in their departments and resolve on behalf of athletes. We can't wait to honor them in Baltimore."

Bodensteiner began her tenure as director of athletics at Saint Joseph's University in 2018, coming to Hawk Hill after an impressive 20-year career at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. She oversees the Hawks' 20 NCAA Division I men's and women's varsity sports and membership in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

During Bodensteiner's tenure, Saint Joseph's field hockey has appeared in the NCAA tournament five out of six years and won its first tournament game in program history. The men's and women's lacrosse teams each made their first-ever NCAA tournament appearances. St. Joe's baseball won its first A10 regular-season championship. The men's and women's basketball teams swept through the city opponents to win the 2023 Big 5 Championships, and the teams received postseason bids to the NIT and WBIT, respectively. 

Under Bodensteiner's leadership, the department has adopted a powerful and unique culture based on the power of human relationships, with a significant focus on inclusion and authenticity. 

Transformation and adaptation have been hallmarks of Bodensteiner's leadership. The university is in the midst of $80 million in capital projects that will transform facilities for both intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation. Under Bodensteiner's direction, Saint Joseph's created the Beyond the Hill program to develop student-athletes in the areas of academics, leadership, diversity and inclusion, spirituality and service, and career. In 2024, St. Joe's was one of eight institutions (and one of two non-Power 4 schools) to be nominated for the INFLCR best institutional NIL program award. 

Bodensteiner currently serves on three NCAA committees: the Division I Council's NIL Working Group; the Division I Women's Basketball Committee and the NCAA Committee on Academics. She is also the vice chair of the Philadelphia Sports Commission. Bodensteiner previously served on the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and as a Board Member of Women Leaders in Sports. As a former practicing labor and employment attorney and university counsel, Bodensteiner is a frequent speaker on legal issues in college sports. She was invited to testify in front of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives regarding the future of college athletics. 

A native of Valparaiso, Indiana, Bodensteiner received her BA from Notre Dame, her JD from Washington University Law School in St. Louis, and her MBA from Notre Dame. 

Bodensteiner and other Women Leaders award recipients will be recognized at the Women Leaders National Convention, October 13-15 in Baltimore.

Learn more about the Women Leaders' annual awards here. 

Nominated by their peers and selected by the Women Leaders Awards Committee for their service during 2023-24, the award recipients are: 

• Nike Lifetime Achievement Award: Diane Milutinovich, Former Associate Athletics Director, Fresno State University
• Nike Lifetime Achievement Award: Barbara Schroeder, Former Director of Athletics, Regis University 
• Nike Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Sue Willey, Former Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Indianapolis 
• Sandy Barbour Nike Division I FBS Executive of the Year: Candice S. Lee, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs, Vanderbilt University
• Nike Division I FCS Executive of the Year: Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Florida A&M University 
• Nike Division I Executive of the Year: Jill Bodensteiner, Vice President and Director of Athletics, Saint Joseph's University
• Nike Division II Executive of the Year: Rachel Burleson, Director of Athletics, Franklin Pierce University
• Nike Division III Executive of the Year: Ayanna Tweedy, Athletic Director, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Nike Conference Executive of the Year: Andrea Savage, Executive Director, New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)
• Nike NAIA Executive of the Year: Jayme Pendergast, Director of Athletics, Life University
• Nike Nell Jackson Executive of the Year: Nevin Caple, Founder & CEO, Return on Inclusion
• Nike Sport Business Executive of the Year: Angie Long, Co-Owner and Founder, Kansas City Current
• BSN SPORTS Rising Star Award: Kayla Ketring, Manager, Custom Research, Navigate
• BSN SPORTS Promising Professional Award: Alex Sommer, Academic Counselor/Student-Athlete Engagement Coordinator, The Ohio State University, Student-Athlete Support Services Office
• BSN SPORTS Commitment Award: Dr. Ashlesha Lokhande, Assistant Director of Inclusion, NCAA

About Women Leaders in Sports
Founded in 1979, Women Leaders in Sports is the only nationally recognized professional membership organization whose mission is to develop, connect, advance, and champion women leaders working in sports. Women Leaders provides career and leadership training, access to a powerful network, and the resources to advance women at every stage of their careers. Learn more about the organization here and follow Women Leaders on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.