The CCHA and WCHA announced today the hiring of Byron Synstegaard as assistant commissioner of operations.
He joins the respective conference offices bringing six years of administrative experience in sport and event operations.
“To borrow a hockey term, Byron’s hiring puts our staffing plan back at ‘full strength’ in the WCHA and CCHA,” said Minnesota State director of athletics and CCHA management council chair Kevin Buisman in a statement. “He brings a tremendous level of operational, event management, budget and administrative experience that will prove valuable in this role. He has a real passion for the game that will be more than evident to the coaches, student-athletes and staff he will serve. I am confident that he will acclimate quickly and make immediate, high-impact contributions across both leagues.”
Synstegaard spent the last four years with the Mavericks as an assistant athletic director for sport operations, overseeing all aspects of sport operations, including event management, at the university. He worked in facility management, business and financial management, department scheduling, and corporate partnerships.
“I want to thank (CCHA commissioner) Don Lucia, (WCHA commissioner) Michelle McAteer, Kevin Buisman, and the CCHA and WCHA staff for this opportunity,” said Synstegaard. “I am excited to continue to advance the renowned brand of both the CCHA and the WCHA in this role, and am honored to serve the prestigious institutions that make up both leagues.”
“I am very excited to welcome Byron to the WCHA,” said McAteer. “Throughout the application process, it was clear that he is experienced, qualified, and possesses a skill set that will add tremendous value to our organization. Bryon has advanced in sports administration roles throughout his career and came highly recommended. He has a lot to offer and will do a tremendous job managing the operations of our league and supporting our outstanding member institutions.”
Prior to his time at Minnesota State, Synstegaard was an event operations manager at Northern Michigan, where he served from 2018 to 2020, handling operations, marketing and promotions for all 16 programs.
“Byron has the unique skill set we were looking for and has previous experience at Northern Michigan and Minnesota State,” added Lucia. “He came highly recommended and his passion for college hockey was clear through the interview process. I look forward to working with Byron and welcome him to the CCHA.”
Synstegaard will oversee all league operations for both the CCHA and WCHA, including managing payroll for all employees (including officials), budgeting for all league activities and postseason tournament management, among other fiscal and operational duties.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in Geography/Environmental Studies from St. Thomas in 2015, he completed his master’s in Sports Management from Minnesota State in 2018.
