Northern Kentucky University's new athletic director discusses her goals for the Norse

The new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules in college athletics are already changing the landscape of college sports and will continue to do so

Christina Roybal, the new athletic director and a vice president of Northern Kentucky University, said that will be one of her top priorities when she takes over for retiring Ken Bothof July 1.

“We should be responding to the changing needs of student-athletes,” she said Thursday during her introductory press conference at NKU. “A lot has happened the last two years, and will continue to happen. We will be ready to respond and give a great experience to our student-athletes. NIL is here to stay, so it’s a matter of embracing it and whatever it will turn out to be.”

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Roybal comes to NKU from the University of Northern Iowa, where she has served as senior associate athletic director for sports administration since 2016. She also holds the title of senior woman administrator and deputy Title IX coordinator.

She also spent 10 years as an athletic administrator at Fresno State.

Both of those schools are NCAA Division I mid-major programs, same as NKU in the Horizon League.

“NIL at a mid-major still has the opportunities it has at the bigger institutions,” she said. “It’s a way for students to market themselves. Is it a way for schools to recruit kids from high school? Yeah. In the NIL process, we will continue to educate our student-athletes and the community about what is allowed. We will allow student-athletes the opportunity to market themselves and still be a student.”

NIL will likely have a huge impact on men’s basketball at NKU, the most decorated program at the school since its move to DI with three league championships. Head coach Darrin Horn is happy to have an experienced administrator working on it.

“The thing that is exciting about Christina is that she brings a wealth of experience in all the areas that are important to running an athletic department, and has done it at schools that have accomplished some things that we aspire to,” Horn said.

When it comes to NIL, Horn is concerned about the evolving nature of how schools incorporate it.

“She is committed to making sure that we not only keep up but get ahead of the curve,” he said. “It’s a little out of whack right now when you look around the country, but it’s here to stay. Figuring out what it means for us will be really important because, at the end of the day, we’re all here for our student-athletes, and what that is is an opportunity for them. She understands that and is committed to it.”

Fresno State and Northern Iowa are in similar positions to NKU in that both campuses are are in cities with larger metropolitan areas in the vicinity.

“Fresno has multiple professional teams and collegiate Division I institutions nearby,” she said. “We were really working to recruit those student-athletes and get a sense of community around it. Northern Iowa is competing against Iowa and Iowa State. They’re at a different level but still competing. That’s what we want to do at NKU.”

Fans of March Madness know that UNI is a regular Cinderella contender in the men’s basketball tournament.

“If you look at men’s basketball at UNI, they’ve advanced in the tournament, which is a goal for us and something we haven’t done,” Horn said. “She’s been great at raising awareness and funds at both of those places. Those are things we need here.”

Roybal holds a bachelor of arts in health, physical education, and recreation degree from Saint Mary’s College of California (2003), as well as a pair of master’s degrees from Fresno State in kinesiology (2006) and business administration (2013).

Roybal said she started out as a chemistry major before falling in love with sports.

“By the end of my sophomore year, I enjoyed watching my friends compete in sports they love and I felt good that I helped contribute to their experience,” she said. “I realized I enjoyed watching games more than being in an organic chemistry lab.”

Roybal is excited to get started.

“The thing that will take the most time is about building those relationships,” she said. “That’s what I plan on doing when I arrive. Getting to know people, what they care about. What is special and unique about them, what they enjoy ... I have a great appreciation for the work that all the staff does in athletics. I would never ask my staff to do anything that I’ve never done myself or would be willing to do.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Christina Roybal, new NKU athletic director, discusses goals, NIL