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Alex Portée
Senior Trending Reporter
A community of journalists and sports fans is mourning the unexpected death of longtime sports journalist Ben Arnet, who died Aug. 28 at the age of 43.
Arnet’s death was confirmed by his colleagues at KOMU, an NBC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri, on air Aug. 28. The station reported that the sports director “unexpectedly died” earlier that day.
“This is not easy news to report,” news anchor Taylor Freeman said during the broadcast. “We’re still working through the news ourselves. It’ll take time to process.”
A cause of death was not reported, but KOMU said the station “will share additional information as it becomes available.”
Arnet led the sports department for five years, and he will be remembered for his passion for storytelling, sports and inspiring “the next generation of journalists who worked alongside him,” KOMU staff reported.
Before joining KOMU, Arnet covered sports in Arizona, Kansas and upstate New York. A Columbia native, Arnet attended the Missouri School of Journalism and went on to become a mentor at the school. He also spent nearly a decade reporting for Mizzou Athletics.
“I firmly believe that what we do best, we do together, and Ben embraced that philosophy in his work,” KOMU General Manager Matt Garrett said in a statement.
“Being the sports director at KOMU 8 means bringing students with you every step of the way, and sometimes that can be difficult if you don’t have the passion that Ben had for seeing the next generation of sports journalists take shape in front of his eyes,” Garrett continued. “He was a tremendous asset to KOMU 8 and a landmark in the journeys of the students and staff who worked with him. He won’t be forgotten here at the station and in the mid-Missouri sports community.”
David Kurpius, dean of Missouri’s School of Journalism, also celebrated Arnet’s legacy.
“The Missouri School of Journalism and KOMU has lost a veteran sportscaster, a dedicated mentor and a consummate colleague in Ben Arnet,” Kurpius said in a statement outlining Arnet’s contributions to developing young journalists.
“He will be dearly missed,” the dean added.
KOMU also remembered Arnet as a father, “valued colleague, and beloved friend.”
Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.
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