Stephanie Thompson joined the Alabama State Athletic staff in December, 2021 as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance after spending time at Bethune-Cookman. Thompson was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Compliance in June, 2024.
While at Bethune-Cookman, she served as the Director for Compliance and Academic Initiatives where she was the primary contact in daily operations of the compliance unit. She managed the Name, Image, and Likeness monitoring initiative, while also managing distribution of the NCAA Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund. She also monitored all aspects of recruiting of prospective student-athletes and led certification efforts of initial eligibility of incoming freshmen and transfer students in collaboration with the Office of Student-Athlete Services academic unit, registrar, and faculty athletic representative (FAR).
She led data collection and reporting of the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Academic Progress Rate (APR), while also leading creation of strategies to improve academic performance and Academic Progress Rate scores in collaboration with departmental and university constituents. Thompson also served as the secondary contact for NCAA APR data review (2021) resulting in no recommended actions.
Prior to Bethune-Cookman, Thompson served a stint at Stetson University and three years as Compliance Coordinator at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where she also served as interim Director of Compliance.
A 2009 graduate of Bethune-Cookman University, earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Thompson worked as an intern for the Office of Athletics Compliance.
Following her graduation from BCU, she worked as a seasonal employee with Florida Citrus Sports in Orlando, Florida, assisting in the planning and execution of the Florida Blue Florida Classic before enrolling in the Sport Administration graduate program at St. Thomas University in Miami. During her sting with St. Thomas, she worked as a graduate assistant for Compliance and Eligibility within the STU Department of Athletics, maintaining eligibility records for student-athletes in all 14 sports.
After completing her Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Sports Administration from St. Thomas in 2011, Thompson returned to her alma mater as a post-graduate intern in the Office of Athletics Compliance before venturing to FAMU.
At Stetson, Thompson assisted in all phases of administering a comprehensive NCAA Division I, Atlantic Sun Conference, Pioneer Football League and MAAC rules compliance program. As compliance coordinator, she monitored all facets of recruiting, playing and practice seasons, awards, amateurism, countable athletically related activity, and other duties as assigned by the Athletics Director. Thompson also served as the advisor for the Stetson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
She holds memberships in the National Association of Athletics Compliance, Women Leaders in College Sports, and the Alliance of Women Coaches.
