Spencer Dawson joined Northwestern Athletics in October 2022 as Director of Compliance. Dawson supervises all aspects of athletics compliance for a number of Northwestern’s programs. He provides NCAA and Big Ten rules interpretations and rules education for coaches, student-athletes, administrators, University staff, and other representatives of athletics interest.
Dawson’s experience includes a three-year stint at the University of Oklahoma where he served as a Compliance Coordinator and later as a Director of Compliance for Recruiting. In his role as Compliance Coordinator, Dawson oversaw practice eligibility, camps and clinics, and complimentary admissions for OU. As Director of Compliance, he monitored recruiting operations for all nineteen of OU’s athletics programs. Dawson worked collaboratively with each sport to ensure every component of their recruitment of prospective student-athletes adhered to Big XII and NCAA rules and regulations. Prior to OU, Dawson was a Compliance, Governance, and Legal extern for the Horizon League, a Compliance Extern for the NCAA’s Office of the Committees on Infractions and the NCAA’s Academic and Membership Affairs team, and a Compliance extern at IUPUI.
Prior to entering the compliance field, Dawson was a strength and conditioning coach at Purdue University for the 2014-15 academic year where he oversaw training for the Women’s Softball program and assisted with the Women’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball programs. Dawson also has experience outside of college athletics as he held positions as a Legal Extern for USA Football and Judicial Law Clerk for the Court of Appeals of Indiana.
A native of La Fontaine, Indiana, Dawson attended Purdue University where he was a member of the football program. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Athlete as a senior. In 2013, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Applied Exercise and Health and was awarded honors as the top senior in his major by faculty and staff. In 2018, he graduated from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Dawson’s experience includes a three-year stint at the University of Oklahoma where he served as a Compliance Coordinator and later as a Director of Compliance for Recruiting. In his role as Compliance Coordinator, Dawson oversaw practice eligibility, camps and clinics, and complimentary admissions for OU. As Director of Compliance, he monitored recruiting operations for all nineteen of OU’s athletics programs. Dawson worked collaboratively with each sport to ensure every component of their recruitment of prospective student-athletes adhered to Big XII and NCAA rules and regulations. Prior to OU, Dawson was a Compliance, Governance, and Legal extern for the Horizon League, a Compliance Extern for the NCAA’s Office of the Committees on Infractions and the NCAA’s Academic and Membership Affairs team, and a Compliance extern at IUPUI.
Prior to entering the compliance field, Dawson was a strength and conditioning coach at Purdue University for the 2014-15 academic year where he oversaw training for the Women’s Softball program and assisted with the Women’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball programs. Dawson also has experience outside of college athletics as he held positions as a Legal Extern for USA Football and Judicial Law Clerk for the Court of Appeals of Indiana.
A native of La Fontaine, Indiana, Dawson attended Purdue University where he was a member of the football program. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Athlete as a senior. In 2013, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Applied Exercise and Health and was awarded honors as the top senior in his major by faculty and staff. In 2018, he graduated from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.