Laura Courtley-Todd is an assistant professor in Sports Administration with over 24 years of collegiate athletics experience. Prior to joining the College of Business faculty, Courtley-Todd served as the university’s Athletic Director for 20 years. Before serving at the helm of the Bobcats she served in several roles in athletics including Associate Athletics Director and Sports Information Director. Courtley-Todd made her mark as an Athletic Director by showing a true commitment to delivering practical experiences to students by using college athletics as a learning laboratory within sports administration, creating internships and practicums in-game/event management, sports information, and the creation of the Bobcat Sports network. During Courtley-Todd’s time as the Athletic Director, STU’s student-athletes consistently achieved both academically and athletically with dozens of national student-athlete awards garnered each year and many national tournament appearances.
Since Courtley-Todd began her post in 1996, she grew the Athletics program from 9 sports programs to 21 varsity sports and several developmental team programs. She also oversaw the construction of the Fernandez Family Center for Leadership & Wellness, the university’s first gymnasium, along with the re-location of two soccer fields, installation of lights on the baseball, soccer and softball fields, and the construction of 3 international beach volleyball courts. She was also part of the renovation of the tennis courts which are used for the Miami Open ball training, and a private practice site for professional tennis players. Courtley-Todd also oversaw the renovation of the brand-new stadium seating at Paul Demie Mainieri Baseball Stadium. Of the highest accomplishment was the launching of the university’s first football program in 2019 and the creation of women’s flag football as a new varsity sport in the NAIA, the first of its kind in collegiate sports. Courtley-Todd is a three-time honoree of the Sun Conference Athletic Director of the Year (2012, 2018, 2020). Other honors have included the 1999-2000 Florida Sun Conference Female Administrator of the year as well as the 1999-2000 Region XIV Athletic Director of the Year by the NAIA. Before arriving at STU, Courtley-Todd was an assistant venue manager and events coordinator for the 1996 Olympic Soccer Organizing Committee for the Olympic soccer games in South Florida. She also assisted the Orange Bowl Committee during the 1995 national championship game. Courtley-Todd has held several leadership positions including serving on the Executive Committee of The Sun Conference and the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission. She was a 2-term member of the NAIA National Administrative Council, served as the AD liaison on the national oversight and selection committee for Women’s Volleyball. She also served one year as a member of the prominent Orange Bowl Committee. Currently, Courtley-Todd is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and a past member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Administrators (NACWA), and the National Intramural Recreation Association (NIRSA). Courtley-Todd is a member of The Sun Conference Eligibility Committee, a position she has held for over two decades.
Courtley-Todd earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1994 at the Ohio State University in Recreation Education and a Master of Science in Sports Administration at STU in 1995. She is married to Sean Todd, the vice president of operations at the Jason Taylor Foundation and a fellow alumnus with a Master of Science in Sports Administration from STU. The couple resides in Sunrise, FL with their daughter Sidney Aerin Todd.