Fayetteville State University Athletics

Fayetteville State University appointed Anthony 'Todd' Bennett as the Director of Athletics after a nationwide search in 2015 to find a rising star in intercollegiate athletics administration.

His leadership style and dedication to the department made an immediate impact. Bennett has had to make tough administrative decisions like ending the women's tennis program and has had the support to fully sponsor cross-country and add women's indoor and outdoor track & field programs.

FSU Athletics has 18 conference championship titles since 2015 with 17 runner-up titles.

Women's cross-country has won five straight championships from 2017 through 2022. Women's Indoor Track  & Field has a three-peat (2020, '22, and '23). Most recently, back-to-back titles have been claimed in Outdoor Track & Field. Volleyball had repeat titles in 2019 and 2020.

Men's and women's basketball competed on the same championship night in 2020, but only the women prevailed to be named champions.  The following season in 2022, the men's program broke a 49-year hiatus to win its first title since 1973.

Women's bowling has been to the championship title match for the past six seasons and defeated its nemesis Bowie State in 2023. Football has been the runner-up for four straight years but was victorious in 22 with a last-second field goal in a close matchup against Chowan.

Men's Golf returned to its dominance of the CIAA after capturing the 2023 title and advancing to the NCAA DII National Championship. 

Men's Cross Country won the institution's first-ever title in 2022.

Fayetteville State has improved with a commitment to diversity and inclusion workshops. Community service activations have increased along with summer camps for local youth.

Before his appointment at FSU, he served as Associate Athletic Director at CIAA rival Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). At WSSU, Bennett provided oversight of 12 athletic programs, five support programs, and a $4 million athletic budget. 

Bennett is no stranger to FSU athletics. For five years, he served as Assistant Director for Operations and Athletic Compliance. His duties included oversight of the day-to-day operations of the FSU Athletic Department, coordinating logistics for 10 athletic and special events sponsored by the FSU Athletics Department, and supervision of the sports information staff, athletic trainers, and student academic support staff. He also served as the liaison for FSU and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regarding compliance issues, eligibility, and certification concerns. 

At FSU, Bennett will be responsible for 10 varsity sports programs and more than 20 coaches and assistants. Other duties will include oversight of the department's fiscal resources, ensuring compliance with all relevant institutional, CIAA, UNC System, and NCAA rules and regulations; and developing, implementing, and continuously updating the Strategic Plan for the department. 

"I am excited to come back to the place that played such a major role in my personal and professional development," Bennett said. "I look forward to working with the administrative team as we seek to raise the profile of the FSU athletic program and as we endeavor to produce quality student-athletes." 

A native of Laurinburg, N.C., Bennett received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from FSU in 1995 and a Master of Business Administration in 2000. As an undergraduate student, he was a Chancellor's Scholar and football scholarship recipient. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Bennett is the father of two children, Bryce and Graycen.