- 30 CIAA championships from 2015–2025
- Major facility upgrades
- Record-setting academic performance
- Accurate football and women’s basketball achievements
- CIAA 2024–25 End-of-Year Awards and individual honors
- Three-time CIAA Athletics Director of the Year
Anthony “Todd” Bennett has served as Director of Athletics at Fayetteville State University since 2015, leading the Broncos through a decade of competitive excellence, strategic facility upgrades, and record-setting academic achievement.
Appointed after a nationwide search, Bennett returned to his alma mater with a clear vision to elevate the university’s athletic profile. His tenure has been marked by bold decisions, including the discontinuation of the women’s tennis program and the expansion of women’s sports through the addition of indoor and outdoor track and field.
Since taking the helm, Fayetteville State has captured 30 CIAA championships from 2015 through 2025, a testament to Bennett’s leadership and commitment to building winning programs. Among the highlights:
- Women’s Cross Country won eight consecutive CIAA titles from 2017 to 2025.
- Men’s Cross Country claimed championships in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
- Women’s Indoor Track & Field earned titles in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- Women’s Outdoor Track & Field secured championships in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
- Volleyball won CIAA titles in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
- Women’s Bowling captured championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- Men’s Basketball broke a 49-year drought with a championship win in 2022 and earned its first NCAA Atlantic Region playoff win in 2025.
- Women’s Basketball won back-to-back CIAA titles in 2024 and 2025 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen in 2025.
- Football reached the CIAA Championship game six consecutive seasons, winning the title in 2022.
- Men’s Golf returned to dominance with a CIAA championship in 2023.
Bennett has also overseen a series of transformative facility upgrades that have modernized Fayetteville State’s athletic infrastructure:
- The artificial turf football field and rubberized practice track at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium were completely redone.
- At Felton J. Capel Arena, the outdated scoreboard was replaced with a state-of-the-art video board, along with new message boards, scorer’s tables, and an academic video wall.
- Every locker room across the department was upgraded with new flooring and lockers, enhancing the student-athlete experience.
Academically, the Broncos reached new heights in Spring 2025, posting a department-wide GPA of 3.42, the highest in school history. The bowling team earned a 3.623 GPA and the softball team posted a 3.655 GPA, both earning CIAA Team GPA Awards.
At the CIAA 2024–25 End-of-Year Awards, Fayetteville State was honored with six major awards, including:
- Athletics Director of the Year – Anthony Todd Bennett (his third career honor)
- Loretta Taylor Women’s All-Sports Award – for the fourth consecutive year
- Most Positive Game Day Environment – selected by the CIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
- Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Nia Gibson, captain of the cross country and track & field teams
- John Holley Sports Information Director of the Year – Adrian Ferguson, for excellence in media and communications
- Coach of the Year Honors – Inez Turner (women’s cross country and indoor track & field) and Luke D’Alessio (men’s basketball)
Bennett attributes the department’s success to a collective effort, stating, “It’s not just an AD award, but a team effort.”
Prior to his appointment, Bennett served as Associate Athletic Director at Winston-Salem State University, overseeing 12 athletic programs and a $4 million budget. He previously held the role of Assistant Director for Operations and Athletic Compliance at FSU, managing daily operations and serving as the NCAA compliance liaison.
A native of Laurinburg, North Carolina, Bennett earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fayetteville State in 1995 and an MBA in 2000. He was a Chancellor’s Scholar and football scholarship recipient during his undergraduate years. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the proud father of two children, Bryce and Graycen.
“I am excited to come back to the place that played such a major role in my personal and professional development,” Bennett said upon his appointment. “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.”
