Bill Benner

Inside INdiana Sports Reporter

A long-time Indianapolis sports journalist, commentator and local sports expert, Bill Benner partnered with Gerry Dick in 2005 to launch Inside INdiana Sports, a weekly feature on "Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick" television.

Every week, Bill provides a fresh perspective to the coverage of sports. He knows that in Indiana, sports are more than scores and highlights. They are a major economic driver. That's why he dives deeper into the story behind the story to offer insight into the business of Indiana's sports machines. Since joining "Inside INdiana Business", he has interviewed an impressive list of sports personalities, including Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird, NCAA President Myles Brand, Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian and CBS Sportscaster Jim Nantz.

Bill is also director of communications for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA). Along with his duties with the ICVA, which he joined in October, 2005, Benner writes a weekly sports column for The Indianapolis Business Journal. He also is involved in various free-lance writing projects and is a frequent guest or guest host on local sports talk radio shows.

Previously, Bill served as vice president of communications for Indiana Sports Corporation (ISC) until January of 2005. He came to ISC in February, 2001. Before that, he was a sportswriter and columnist for The Indianapolis Star for 33 years. He also co-hosted a sports talk radio show on WNDE/1260AM for six years. In addition, he has spent 10 years as an adjunct faculty member of the Butler University department of journalism, where he teaches sports journalism.

Bill is a 1973 graduate of Indiana University and holds a bachelor's of science degree in education. He also was the honor graduate of the U.S. Army's Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., in August of 1972. He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve as the information specialist for the 4th Training Brigade.

A lifelong Hoosier, Bill joined the sports staff of The Indianapolis Star in June of 1968 and became a full-time sportswriter in June of 1971. During his career with the newspaper, he covered high school sports, the Indiana Pacers, the Indianapolis Colts, three Olympics (Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta) and two Pan American Games (Indianapolis, Havana), Masters and U.S. Open golf, tennis and 20 NCAA Final Fours. He became a full-time sports columnist in 1990.

Bill won numerous awards for his writing during his newspaper career and was twice recognized as the Indiana Sportswriter of the Year by the National Association of Sportswriters and Sportscasters (NSSA) located in Salisbury, N.C.

He has served on local organizing committees for the 1991, 1997, 2006 and 2010 NCAA Men's Final Fours, the 2005 NCAA Women's Final Four, the 1996 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and numerous Big Ten women's and men's tournaments. He is chairman of the board of Special Olympics Indiana and an associate director of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He is past president of the Holy Spirit at Geist Catholic Church parish council.

Bill also served as a board member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for four years and was the USBWA president from 1998-99. He remains a member of the USBWA's presidents' council.

Bill and his wife of 35 years, Sherry, are parents of two daughters: Allison and Ashley.

Contact: bbenner@indianapolis.org