Big Ten Welcomes Katie Ahrens Smith As Vice President, Policy and Compliance

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has named Katie Ahrens Smith vice president, policy and compliance. Effective May 16, 2024, Smith will provide leadership and oversight of policy and compliance matters, developing critical guidance and insight for key senior leaders across the Big Ten Conference. Smith will report to senior vice president, policy and compliance Chad Hawley and will be based at Big Ten Conference headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Katie to the Big Ten Conference,” Hawley stated. “She is a proven leader that brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. Her expertise will be critical as the Big Ten Conference continues to navigate the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.”

Smith is no stranger to the Big Ten, having served 26 years at the University of Wisconsin. Most recently, Smith served as Sr. Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women Administrator, overseeing the compliance office and serving as Deputy Title IX Coordinator. She also served as the sport administrator for Badgers women’s volleyball and football.

During her time at Wisconsin, Smith often collaborated with conference headquarters. In 2020-21, she co-chaired the Big Ten Administrators Council and served on the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force Medical Subcommittee dedicated to establishing protocols and processes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, where she earned a bachelors degree in mass communication and media arts.

Big Ten Conference (bigten.org) is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013.

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