Associate General Counsel

University of Kentucky; Lexington (VA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kentucky Office of Legal Counsel seeks an Associate General Counsel to provide legal counsel, representation, and strategic guidance on athletics-related matters for the University and Champions Blue LLC.

This role advises university leadership on contracting, compliance, regulatory developments, and risk management for a public university’s Division I athletics program, including sponsorships, licensing, media, NIL, and related business matters.

Qualifications

• JD required with bar eligibility in Kentucky.
• Minimum 5 years of related legal experience.
• Experience advising senior administrators in higher education.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel and strategic guidance on athletics-related matters for UK and Champions Blue LLC.
• Advise on contracting, sponsorships, licensing, media and marketing agreements.
• Support governance, risk management, and regulatory developments for a Division I program.

Skills

In-house counsel experience

Athletics-related legal matters

Regulatory compliance

Education

JD

Job description

Job Title

Associate General Counsel

Requisition Number

RE55872

Department Name

11300:Office Of Legal Counsel

Work Location

Lexington, KY

Grade Level

51

Salary Range

$95,826-162,947/year

Type of Position

Staff

Position Time Status

Full-Time

Required Education

JD

Click here for more information about equivalencies: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies

Required Related Experience

5 yrs

Required License/Registration/Certification

Currently a member of the Kentucky Bar Association or eligible for admission without further examination

Physical Requirements

Sitting for long periods of time; and intermittent job-related travel.

Shift

Typically, Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Additional work hours may be assigned as necessary.

Job Summary

The University of Kentucky Office of Legal Counsel is seeking an Associate General Counsel to provide legal counsel, representation, and strategic guidance on athletics-related legal matters for the University of Kentucky and Champions Blue LLC .

At the University of Kentucky, athletics doesn’t just happen on the field or court — it fuels scholarships, supports groundbreaking research and connects communities across Kentucky and beyond. Now, as the landscape of college athletics changes dramatically, UK is leading the way with an innovative model to sustain success and strengthen our future through the establishment of Champions Blue LLC .

This Associate General Counsel position advises university leadership, including the CEO of Champions Blue/Athletics Director and other athletics administrators, on the contracting issues, compliance strategies, regulatory developments and risk management needs facing a public university’s Division I athletics program and member of one of the autonomous athletic conferences. These matters include providing legal counsel on commercial transactions, sponsorships, licensing, media and marketing agreements, employment contracts, games and events contracts, NIL -related institutional issues, facility use agreements, procurement, commercial partnerships, and other legal and business matters.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No

Preferred Education/Experience

Significant experience serving as in-house counsel within the legal office of a college, university, academic medical center, or similarly complex institution is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success advising senior administrators and diverse institutional clients while navigating the governance and operational environment unique to higher education.

Demonstrated experience advising on athletics-related legal matters, including commercial partnerships, sponsorships, licensing, branding, media rights, vendor agreements, athletics operations, or other sports-related transactions. Experience representing Division I NCAA institutions, collegiate athletics programs, conferences, or professional sports organizations is highly desirable.

Deadline to Apply

10/09/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.