RICHARDSON, Texas - Riley Powell joined the UT Dallas staff as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance in May. He brings a unique combination of legal training, NCAA compliance knowledge, and on-the-ground athletics experience to the Comets' compliance team.

Powell graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut with a Juris Doctorate in 2025. He ranked in the top 10% of his class and served as Lead Publications Editor for the QU Probate Law Journal. His legal scholarship includes a published article on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) issues.

Before joining UTD, Powell worked in NCAA compliance at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he was responsible for drafting waivers, monitoring eligibility, and creating rules education presentations for coaches and student-athletes. He is proficient in industry-standard compliance systems, including Teamworks Compliance, LSDBi, RSRO and the NCAA Eligibility Center.

"We are excited to have Riley join our department," said Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator Marci Alliosn. "The knowledge and experience Riley brings from his time in an NCAA Division I compliance office will assist us in continuing to build our compliance program as we transition to NCAA Division II.  As NCAA and Texas legislation is swiftly changing, we are fortunate to be able to call on Riley to keep us up-to-date as he just completed his law degree. The energy that Riley brings each day is contagious and will be a positive addition to our department as he continues the education of our University, staff, student-athletes and prospective students of NCAA Division II legislation."

In addition to his compliance experience, Powell has worked as a Paralegal at Lamboley Law Firm from 2018-25, specializing in immigration law and regulatory compliance.

A native of North Haven, Connecticut, Powell holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a minor in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. At UConn, he was active in the Sports Business Association and earned Dean's List honors. He also served as team manager for the Huskies' women's soccer program, coordinating game-day operations, travel, and video analysis.