Erika Layton was named Director of Compliance on February 6, 2023. Layton comes to Samford University after her second stint at Wagner College where she most recently served as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Equity & Inclusion.
In her role at Wagner, she oversaw all aspects of the institution’s Compliance Office and its 26 varsity sport programs. In addition to her compliance responsibilities, Layton served as the sport supervisor for men’s lacrosse, softball, and men’s and women’s water polo as well as a member of the executive leadership team.
Prior to Wagner, Layton served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Canisius College. She oversaw all compliance-related initiatives for Canisius' 20-varsity sports program while being a vital member of the athletic department's management staff. Additionally, Layton was the advisor for the Canisius' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and handled the day-to-day operations of student services.
Before accepting the position at Canisius, Layton was the Assistant Director of Compliance at the University of Rhode Island. At Rhode Island, she worked closely with the Rams' 18 Division I sports program, handling all NCAA and A10 waivers, NCAA reporting, financial aid, playing and practice seasons, and camps and clinics.
Layton got her start in the realm of compliance working two years at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in Edison, NJ, where she was the Director of Compliance. At the MAAC, she was responsible for handling all inquiries and interactions between the MAAC membership and the NCAA's national office, while supervising as the conference's resource officer for the NCAA Institutional Performance Program, which oversaw the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program and enforcing the MAAC Bylaws and Administrative agreements.
In 2016, Layton was the media relations and marketing graduate assistant at Wagner. In this role, she was the primary media contact for the men's and women's water polo program in addition to her marketing duties.
During the 2015-16 academic year, Layton began her first tenure at the MAAC as an Administrative Fellow, assisting with the conference's marketing efforts throughout basketball season. She was also the promotions coordinator at the MAAC men's and women's basketball championships and at the AdvoCare Invitational, held at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports.
A native of Hyde Park, N.Y., Layton is a 2015 graduate of Siena College, where she was a four-year MAAC All-Academic Performer as a member of the Saints' swimming & diving program. A team co-captain and SAAC representative, she earned her bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree from Wagner in business administration, with a concentration in marketing in 2018.
