April 17, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. –
University of Notre Dame deputy athletics director and former Monogram Club executive director Bill Scholl has been named director of intercollegiate athletics at Ball State University. Ball State president Jo Ann M. Gora made the announcement Monday at a 2 p.m. press conference.
Scholl brings to Ball State more than two decades of athletics administration experience at Notre Dame. As deputy athletics director, he has been responsible for supervision of sports such asfootball, men’s basketball, baseball and men’s soccer. He is responsible for senior-level administration such as fundraising and donor relations, divisional budget construction and growing external revenue.
“I’m so pleased to introduce Bill to the Ball State community,” Gora said. “Our student-athletes, fans and donors immediately will find him to be warm and personable. He is a seasoned leader and skilled communicator with a long track record of increasing responsibility and success. Bill has played a major role in developing Notre Dame athletics into a well-rounded athletics department where most of the university’s sports enjoy success at the national level. He understands both the opportunities and challenges that come with managing a large and complex athletics program with a national profile.”
An example of Scholl’s major accomplishments at Notre Dame is working side by side with baseball head coach Paul Mainieri to grow the program into a destination for baseball talent in the northern United States. The team earned its first trip to the College World Series in 2002 — the first time in 45 years — and won nine conference titles. Mainieri is now head coach at national powerhouse LSU.
One of Scholl’s first assignments was raising the visibility and stature of the women’s basketball program. In 1989, the team suffered from a limited fan base. Today, the team routinely ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA for attendance. The team rose to the final game of the NCAA tournament this year, falling only to undefeated Baylor.
Scholl also led an $84 million athletics fundraising initiative for the Spirit of Notre Dame campaign. With coaches, he has managed issues of compliance, budgets, scheduling, media strategy and recruitment.
“I share an ambitious vision with our student-athletes, fans and donors,” said Scholl. “Our programs will be competitive at the national level, and our student-athletes will succeed incompetition and in the classroom. I pledge no less than my very best effort to ensure their success. It has been my honor and privilege to serve Notre Dame over 23 years. That experience has prepared me to lead Ball State athletics to even greater success, and I look forward to the opportunity with great anticipation.”
“Bill is a great fit for Ball State,” said Frank Hancock, vice president of the Board of Trustees. “I spend most of my waking hours in the world of professional and collegiate sports. I’m confident that Bill brings Ball State the expertise and experience that will put him at the top of his profession. We will benefit greatly from his leadership.”
Prior to serving as deputy athletics director, Scholl held the title of senior associate athletics director, spent three years as associate athletics director for marketing, was executive director of the Notre Dame Monogram Club, served as the Notre Dame ticket manager — after beginning his Notre Dame career in the promotions area.
Before coming to Notre Dame, Scholl served as director of financial development for the 1987 International Summer Special Olympic Games (held in South Bend) and spent five years working with Juhl Advertising Agency in Mishawaka, Ind. Born in Lakewood, Ohio, the 54-year-old Scholl is a 1979 Notre Dame graduate.
Bill and his wife, Julie, have three children — Michael, Stefanie and Kelly. Stefanie is a Ball State senior and will graduate in May. Michael is a 2009 Notre Dame alumnus and works in the athletics department of Vanderbilt University, and Kelly is a sophomore at Notre Dame.
Scholl will start at Ball State on April 30.
— ND —