Creston native heads Sugar Bowl

NEW ORLEANS — As a kid, Jeff Hundley used to watch the New Orleans-based Sugar Bowl on television in Creston with his dad, Bob, as part of their annual marathon of watching bowl games together.

On Monday, Jeff Hundley officially took over as the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Hundley, a 1980 graduate of Creston High School, has been with the Sugar Bowl for over 25 years, an era which has been defined by the bowl strengthening its status as one of the premier bowl games in the nation. He becomes the seventh executive director/CEO of the bowl, succeeding Paul Hoolahan, who has retired after 23 years heading the organization.

“I’m grateful to the Sugar Bowl Committee and its leadership for the confidence they’ve demonstrated in me,” Hundley said, “not in just trusting me with this new role, but in the way they’ve demonstrated that faith to me and my family over the years. We’re excited about the opportunity and are looking forward to working with the committee and our great staff to achieve big things in the years ahead.”

Hundley had already been on the Sugar Bowl staff for nearly three years when Hoolahan as hired was CEO in June 1996. They worked in tandem on many of the deals associated with the bowl’s rise to prominence, which includes being a partner in hosting the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans.

“If I’m not ready now, shame on me!” said Hundley, who had worked as the bowl’s chief operation officer for many years. “Paul was gracious enough to have me at his side from day one for 23 years. Every major meeting, every negotiation the bowl has had. I learned a lot and it allowed me to grow professionally. Other bowls didn’t travel in pairs to the big meetings very often. It was a unique situation to have that kind of exposure.”

Role change

Hundley said his focus as CEO will shift toward a long-range view, rather than the day-to-day operations. He has coordinated a restructuring of his current position, splitting the duties between Risa Hall, senior director of administration for events, and the hire of former University of New Orleans athletic director Derek Morel, whose primary responsibility will be fundraising.

“The Sugar Bowl’s future is in great hands with Jeff directing our efforts,” said Judge Monique Morial, president of the Sugar Bowl Committee. “He has extensive experience with all aspects of the bowl and his institutional knowledge is second to none. More importantly, Jeff has the respect and trust of our membership as well as all of our outside partners.”

This year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl will feature top teams from the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences. The champions of those leagues are designated to meet in the game unless one or both qualify for the College Football Playoff, in which case replacement teams from the respective leagues will come to New Orleans.

Hundley is also executive director of the New Orleans Host Committee for the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans. That game will mark the sixth national championship game for which he has been integral to operation.

“In just a few short years, the CFP’s National Championship game has really developed into a marquee event,” Hundley said. “The size and scope of the game and its surrounding events has grown dramatically and will continue to do so this year and beyond. In hosting this event, we have a great opportunity to demonstrate once again why New Orleans is one of the best major event cities in America. It’s going to be fun.”

“We’re delighted to learn that Jeff would become CEO of the Sugar Bowl,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “He intuitively understands intercollegiate athletics and loves the New Orleans community. He is a terrific leader and is widely respected.”

The Allstate Sugar Bowl is also involved with more than 50 non-football events a year. Hundley and the bowl’s volunteer membership are involved with competitions at both the prep and collegiate level including basketball, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, volleyball and track and field. During Hundley’s tenure, the bowl has nearly tripled its number of ancillary community events.

In 2014, the bowl landed title sponsorship to all Louisiana High School Athletic Association state championship events and, in 2012, the bowl added the Crescent City Classic, a 10K race held in New Orleans.

Final Four hosts

Hundley also served as co-executive director of the 2012 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and the 2013 NCAA women’s basketball Final Four. He played a pivotal role in landing the rights for New Orleans to host the women’s Final Four again in 2020.

Hundley was named assistant executive director of the Allstate Sugar Bowl in November 1993. He had worked for the University of Georgia Sports Information Office prior to joining the bowl. He was promoted to the title of associate executive director in July 1995 and chief operating officer in 2006.

Hundley was an all-state football and basketball player in high school and is a member of the Creston Community High School Hall of Fame. Hundley did his undergraduate study at the University of Iowa and his graduate work in sports administration at Western Illinois University.

Hundley and his wife Janine, a Clarinda native, have two sons, Roman Gabriel and Benjamin Davidson; and a daughter, Carolyn McCall.

John Sudsbury of the Allstate Sugar Bowl contributed to this story.