Paia is a leader in CCHA’s nationally recognized Sports Law and Higher Education practice groups, bringing over 15 years of experience in college athletics compliance and higher education. With a well-rounded skill set, she provides strategic guidance, advocacy, and innovative solutions to clients navigating the evolving regulatory landscape of college athletics and higher education.

Paia’s extensive background includes positions at several NCAA Division I universities and the NCAA National Office, in addition to leadership roles on several prominent NCAA committees. This unique experience enables her to approach complex athletics and higher education regulatory issues from multiple perspectives, ensuring optimal results for her clients.

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.

Professional Experience:

Before joining CCHA, Paia held a prominent position at The Ohio State University, one of the largest and most well-respected athletics departments in the country, as an athletics administrator, where she led the department’s investigatory functions. She skillfully managed public relations, open records requests, and FERPA compliance, while handling NCAA infractions, student-athlete eligibility matters, crises, and media relations in accordance with institutional policy, state law, and NCAA expectations.

Paia played a pivotal role in building one of the country’s most successful NIL programs at Ohio State, collaborating with third-party rights holders, NIL collectives, and relevant stakeholders. 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.

Recognizing a gap in support for elite student-athletes, Paia created and launched Ohio State’s Elite Student-Athlete Program, offering resources for agent selection, disability insurance, and educational platforms for elite football, basketball, and Olympic sport athletes. She worked closely with NFL, NFLPA, NCAA, USOPC, and industry experts to provide essential education to student-athletes with professional athletics aspirations.

Prior to her time at Ohio State, Paia served at the NCAA National Office in Enforcement, where she played an instrumental role in high-profile Division I investigations, developed industry connections, and gained a deep understanding of the NCAA regulatory structure and infractions processes.

• NCAA Committee Experience
  • Member, Division I Board of Directors Infractions Process Committee (2023)
  • Vice Chair, Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee (2018-2023)
  • Local Organizing Committee, Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four (2017-18)
  • Wrestling Regional Training Center Task Force (2018-2023)
  • Student-Athlete Mental Health Task Force (2018-2019)
  • Academic Integrity Task Force (2016)
  • National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC)
  • Board of Directors (2021-2023)
  • Chair, Convention Committee (2019-2023)

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