Who was Ben Arnet? GoFundMe raises more than $13,000 after KOMU Sports Director dies unexpectedly at 43

Ben Arnet passed away on Thursday (August 28, 2025) due to a sudden cardiac arrest. KOMU 8, the mid-Missouri broadcasting and television station, announced the news via a Facebook post.

Ben Arnet served as the Sports Director at KOMU 8 for the past five years. Before that, he worked as a reporter at the broadcasting company for several years. He graduated from Hickman High School and then attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Kari Lampe, a family friend of Ben Arnet and his wife, Nicole, launched a GoFundMe on August 29, 2025. They stated that Ben was a very "involved and important" individual in their community, and all the donated money would go towards his family.

The fundraiser goal has been set to $22,000, and so far, $14,000 has been collected.

"As the KOMU Sports Director and a proud Hickman High and MU Graduate, Ben has been a very involved and important part of our Mid-Missouri community for decades. He delivered exceptional coverage of Friday Night Fever, Hoops Extra, Mizzou football, and more. His love of sports was matched only by his love for his family. All donations will go to support them at this time," the description reads.

KOMU 8 General Manager paid tribute to Ben Arnet

Matt Garrett, who has been the General Manager at KOMU 8 for more than seven years, shared his thoughts on Arnet's sudden passing. Garrett stated that Ben helped train the young up-and-coming sports journalists and "embraced" KOMU 8's philosophy of working together.

"I firmly believe that what we do best, we do together, and Ben embraced that philosophy in his work... 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," Matt Garrett stated.

Calling Ben Arnet the "landmark" of numerous people's journeys, Matt Garrett expressed that he would not be forgotten at the broadcasting station or in the mid-Missouri sports community.

"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," Garrett stated.

David Kurpius, the Dean at the Missouri School of Journalism for the past ten years, also shared his condolences. He told KOMU 8 that Ben Arnet was an instructor at the University, and he helped students cover high school football games all over mid-Missouri.

It ended up encouraging students and became a "highlight" of their college memories.

Ben Arnet was 43 years of age at the time of passing. He is survived by his wife, Nicole, and daughter, Lyla.

This month, on August 19, Nicole Arnet posted pictures of their daughter on Facebook, celebrating the first day of Lyla's attendance in fifth grade.

On August 17, 2025, the couple celebrated their 15 years of marriage. Stay tuned for more updates.