National Football Foundation

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame will recognize four individuals with 2018 NFF Legacy Awards during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 4 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City.

Karl Benson, the Sun Belt Conference commissioner since 2012, has reinvigorated the league under the "Together We Rise" brand while adding Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Texas at Arlington (UTA) and Texas State. Benson's major accomplishments include securing three additional bowl game tie-ins, ensuring a total of no fewer than five Sun Belt teams play in the postseason; the conference's first ever football championship game, which will be played this year; and a broadcast partnership with ESPN that has resulted in a tenfold increase in Sun Belt events.
 
Prior to the Sun Belt, Benson served as commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (1994-2012) and the Mid-American Conference (1990-94) and as the director of NCAA championships (1986-90). A native of the state of Washington, he received his bachelor's degree from Boise State in 1975.
 
"Karl Benson has attended the NFF Annual Dinner in New York for more than 20 years, and he has been extremely supportive of us in his numerous posts over the years, by always ensuring that the NFF's messaging remains front and center within each of the conferences that he has led," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are extremely grateful for all his support over the years, and we salute him for his upcoming retirement next summer."