Athletic Director Joni Comstock will organize the NCAA tournament next year as chairwoman of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee, the 10-member group that selects and seeds teams and picks venues for the tournament.
"I will have a lot of exposure to both regional and national media, and each time I receive that recognition, so will American University," Comstock said.
Comstock, who has been a member of the committee for four years, is the first member of the Patriot League to serve as chair. She has served on the site selection, television and game management subcommittees.
The committee meets five times during the year to pick and seed teams, which can be a difficult job, according to outgoing chairwoman Lynn Parkes.
"Joni is a good communicator, and I think she is somebody that can see both sides of an issue," Parkes said. "She's very fair and balanced. I think Joni is a natural leader, and I think her sense of fairness will carry her a long way in the position."
ESPN anchors and analysts will interview Comstock live on national television next year. Nine years remain on an 11-year contract with ESPN granting the network exclusive rights to all the tournament's 63 games.
