Paia LaPalombara is a leading attorney in CCHA’s nationally-recognized Sports Law and Higher Education practice groups, advising colleges, universities, athletic conferences, coaches, third parties, Olympic athletes, and student-athletes on the full spectrum of NCAA, Title IX, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulatory issues. With more than 15 years of experience in Division I athletics and higher education—including roles at multiple Division I universities, the NCAA National Office, and on prominent NCAA committees—Paia brings unmatched insight into the fast-changing college athletics landscape.

A former NCAA Division I student-athlete, Paia is known for her strategic approach, tenacity, and steady demeanor when tackling complex issues. Paia has represented and counseled clients on athletics matters relating to:

· NIL program design, compliance, policy development, and strategy

· NIL contract drafting, negotiations, suspensions, and terminations

· NIL-related intellectual property matters

· Complex decisions surrounding the House v. NCAA settlement

· NIL collective creation and institutional integration

· Immigration and related issues for international student-athletes

· Title IX gender equity in athletics reviews

· NCAA infractions and investigations

· Independent and internal investigations including staff and coach conduct, sports wagering, substance abuse, institutional control, hazing, harassment, and culture

· Career progression, including drafting and negotiating employment agreements for coaches and athletics administrators

· Drafting and negotiating athletics contracts, including multimedia rights, athletics events, facility use, services and vendors, and apparel and equipment

· Drafting and negotiating athletics conference membership agreements

· NCAA compliance, institutional control, climate, and culture assessments

· Student-athlete eligibility, legislative relief, reinstatement, and interpretive matters

· Analyzing and negotiating agent, endorsement, and marketing contracts

· Athletics conference bylaws, policies, and procedures

· Athletics compliance and institutional risk management

· Athletics department policies and procedures

Areas of Expertise:

A former NCAA Division I student-athlete, Paia is known for her strategic approach, tenacity, and steady demeanor when tackling complex issues. Her areas of focus include:

• Strategic Decisions in College Athletics: Advising institutions on critical decisions regarding the future of college athletics, including whether to opt in to the proposed House v. NCAA settlement. Paia drafts competitive NIL licensing agreements and optimizes roster management and athletics aid strategies. Her services include corporate formation, structuring NIL licensing payments, and mitigating risks related to Title IX, tax compliance, and employment laws. With a risk-based methodology, Paia ensures that institutions navigate the complexities of collegiate athletics while maintaining regulatory compliance and minimizing exposure to liability.
• NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness): Guiding institutions, individuals, and NIL collectives on NCAA compliance, state law requirements, policy development, NIL agreements, and strategic involvement with NIL collectives and multimedia rights holders.
• NCAA Investigations & Infractions: Providing advocacy for institutions and individuals involved in NCAA investigations and alleged infractions, including case processing and handling NCAA infractions appeals.
• Title IX and Gender Equity Compliance: Advising institutions on Title IX, Clery Act, and VAWA compliance, including gender equity assessments, policy development and trainings, investigations, and supporting institutions through OCR administrative actions.
• Independent Investigations: Conducting comprehensive investigations on issues such as coach and employee conduct, hazing, sports wagering, sexual harassment and violence under Title IX, academic misconduct, and student and staff welfare.
• Athletics Compliance & Risk Management: Advising on NCAA compliance, university risk management, and campus climate, through conducting NCAA compliance and institutional control reviews, executing campus culture assessments, developing risk management and mitigation plans, and evaluating administrative office efficacy.
• Student-Athlete Support: Counseling institutions and student-athletes on NIL contract negotiation, navigating the NCAA Transfer Portal, NCAA eligibility, reinstatement, amateurism, academic misconduct, drug testing, and medical waivers and appeals.
• Contract Negotiation & Policy Development: Drafting and negotiating university contracts, including athletics contests, apparel agreements, articulation agreements, and professional services contracts. Developing institutional policies and procedures related to NCAA compliance, NCAA policy on sexual campus violence, Title IX, Clery Act, retaliation, and investigations.

Outside of athletics matters, Paia's areas of focus include:

• Advising on Title IX, FERPA, and Clery Act compliance, including conducting sexual misconduct investigations, drafting policies and procedures, counseling on regulatory reporting requirements and annual security reports, defending against administrative actions, and leading investigation and adjudication trainings
• Investigating and advising on employment matters for higher education and corporate clients
• Drafting and negotiating university contracts, including affiliation and articulation, artist and speaker, services and vendor, facility use, sponsorship, and grant agreements
• Developing an ethical framework for a land-grant university through the development and execution of a shared values initiative

Before joining CCHA, Paia served as an athletics administrator at The Ohio State University, where she led the department’s investigatory function, oversaw NCAA infractions and eligibility matters, and built one of the nation’s top NIL programs. Her innovative approach led to the creation of Ohio State’s Student-Athlete NIL Guidelines, NIL Collective Best Practices, and the nation’s first NIL law clinic, enabling student-athletes to leverage their personal brands through media campaigns and national partnerships. Working within a major university system allows Paia to understand firsthand how compliance, risk management, student-athlete support, and institutional governance intersect on campus. As a result, she provides guidance to clients that is not only technically sound, but grounded in the practical, day-to-day challenges and realities faced by higher education and athletics administrators.

Paia also previously worked in NCAA Enforcement, contributing to high-profile Division I investigations and gaining deep experience with the NCAA infractions and eligibility processes. Her extensive committee service includes the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Infractions Process Committee, NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, and multiple national task forces.

Paia resides in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two children.