SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University Athletics has announced the hiring of Chase Benton. Previously a graduate assistant at GPAC member Midland University, Benton began his role as Assistant Director of Athletic Communications on July 5. Benton will assist Director of Athletic Communications Jake Knabel in the publicity of the Bulldog Athletic Department’s 24 varsity sports.
Originally from Rome, Ga., Benton familiarized himself with the GPAC landscape and with the local sports scene in Nebraska having spent two years working within Midland sports information.
Said Benton, “I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve at an institution such as Concordia University that seeks to represent Christ in all facets of the organization. I am excited to gain knowledge from Jake Knabel and his wealth of experience as an athletics communicator. As a team, we want to grow Concordia Athletics and expand its reach through serving the student-athletes, coaches and administration. I hope to create connections with the community of CUNE, Seward and fans beyond Seward County through our events, website and social media.”
Added Knabel, “It’s my pleasure to welcome Chase to athletic communications and to the Concordia University community. Chase will be a huge asset to a department that has continued to expand in recent years. His addition will allow us to increase the coverage that we provide our fine Bulldog teams and student-athletes and to increase the efficiency of this department. It’s obvious that Chase grew considerably during his time at Midland and I’m excited to see how he continues to raise the bar within the profession.”
Benton began his tenure at Midland in August of 2021 and played a significant role in helping publicize the 33 Warrior varsity sports. While at Midland, Benton fulfilled all aspects of the SID position, involving himself in content creation, video editing, social media management, statistics and gameday operations. As the contact for tennis, Benton traveled with the teams to the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala. At the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year, Benton was honored with two top-10 NAIA-SIDA national awards in the category of Feature Video. Benton earned a total of four awards from NAIA-SIDA in his time at Midland. His feature video celebrating 50 years of Title IX garnered a sixth-place award.
Chase graduated from Jacksonville State University (Ala.) and received his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and Recreation Studies. He earned his Master of Science in Learning and Talent Development from Midland. His athletic experience includes a stint in ticket operations at the Talladega Superspeedway. Outside of professional vocations, Chase enjoys being active within his community. Chase has been involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in YMCA before and after school programs.