Natasha Oakes joined the West Virginia University staff on August 15, 2022, as Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). In 2023, Oakes was promoted to Deputy Athletics Director/SWA. In this role, she is a member of the department’s executive team and has oversight of all governance and compliance matters, as well as the department’s strategic initiatives.
In her role as SWA, Oakes represents West Virginia on Big 12 and NCAA governance groups. Additionally, she serves as the sport administrator for women's basketball, women’s volleyball, cross country/track and field and men’s and women’s soccer.
As the department's chief diversity officer, she directs and coordinate the department's efforts to advance DEI initiatives and oversees the Every Mountaineer Committee. She also serves on various department and University committees and represents WVU Athletics on national professional committees.    Â
Oakes came to West Virginia from North Texas where she had been since 2017. In her most recent role there as the executive senior associate athletics director, she oversaw all areas of NCAA, Conference USA and institutional compliance for all 16 Mean Green athletic teams.
In addition to her compliance responsibilities, Oakes was the SWA, Title IX deputy coordinator, chief diversity officer and had oversight of the men's and women's cross country/track and field programs.
At North Texas, she was chair of the NCAA Division I Progress Toward Degree Waivers Committee, and subcommittee chair of the NCAA Division I Track and Field and Cross Country Group. Additionally, she was a board member for the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association and served on the Legislation and Governance Committee.
Before North Texas, Oakes worked at Missouri Western State University from 2014-2017, where she was the associate athletic director for internal operations and SWA. As a member of the athletics senior staff, she had direct sport supervision over nine sports, while also overseeing the compliance, academics and Title IX needs of the department.
Prior to her time at Missouri Western, Oakes worked at the NCAA for four years (2010-2014) as an assistant director of academic and membership affairs. In that role, she was responsible for providing legislative interpretations, conducting rules education, and overseeing the legislative relief waiver process.
Oakes got her start in collegiate athletics at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) in 2004 as the Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Internal Operations. With the MIAA, she managed compliance and governance matters, while also serving as a championship manager for select spots and working with conference budget and financial affairs.
The Topeka, Kansas, native earned her master's degree in sport and fitness management from Missouri Western State University and her bachelor's degree in business from Emporia State University, where she was a track and field student-athlete.
Additionally, Oakes is a graduate of the prestigious Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, which was formerly known as the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females.
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