The NCAA has introduced that Michele Osborne, at present serving as managing director of the NCAA’s workplace of authorized affairs, has been named the NCAA’s new vp of the Eligibility Middle. She brings greater than 18 years of expertise training regulation and dealing with collegiate athletics departments and directors.
“I’m excited to guide the Eligibility Middle at this vital time in collegiate athletics,” Osborne mentioned. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the fervour and dedication with which the Eligibility Middle staff serves student-athletes and the NCAA membership. I stay up for becoming a member of the staff, alongside our regulatory affairs and nationwide workplace colleagues, as we embrace the altering collegiate athletics panorama and the expansion alternatives it affords.”
Osborne joined the nationwide workplace in April 2022 as a senior authorized counsel member earlier than being promoted to managing director. She is at present finishing her duties on pending authorized issues and can begin her function within the Eligibility Middle in early June.
“In her temporary time on the nationwide workplace, Michele has demonstrated exemplary steerage and repair to our members and nationwide workplace workers, which made her an excellent candidate to increase her attain to potential student-athletes and their households,” mentioned NCAA President Charlie Baker. “I’m proud to have her as a member of our management staff and stay up for her continued efforts in strengthening the general student-athlete expertise.”
Osborne’s expertise offering authorized counsel on a collegiate campus, for the Eligibility Middle and different regulatory affairs departments, bolsters her capabilities to adeptly acknowledge, reduce and resolve areas of authorized vulnerability inside the collegiate athletics panorama.
She goals to reinforce the Eligibility Middle’s customer support for member faculties, potential student-athletes and excessive faculties whereas trying to be extra proactive in facilitating earlier engagement within the certification course of.
“I’ve had the chance to work with and witness Michele’s maturation as a collegiate athletics administrator at Florida State and inside the NCAA workplace of authorized affairs,” mentioned Stan Wilcox, NCAA government vp of regulatory affairs. “Her authorized background can be an asset to the Eligibility Middle, in addition to her potential to reinforce the customer support that we offer to member establishments, potential student-athletes and excessive faculties, together with alternatives to be proactive and facilitate earlier engagement within the certification course of. We stay up for having Michele as a pacesetter inside regulatory affairs.”
Earlier than becoming a member of the NCAA, Osborne spent greater than a decade at Florida State as a member of the workplace of the overall counsel, a sports activities administrator, and an government on the athletics administration, overseeing varied athletics division features together with athletics compliance. Earlier than becoming a member of Florida State, Osborne hung out in public service as a senior lawyer in Florida’s highest appellate courts and as counsel to Florida’s governor and Cupboard.
A former NCAA soccer student-athlete, Osborne accomplished her bachelor’s diploma at Florida State and graduated magna cum laude together with her regulation diploma from Nova Southeastern regulation middle. Osborne is admitted to the Indiana and Florida bars and holds a number of skilled memberships in greater training, authorized and sports-related organizations.
