Horizon League

Julie Roe Lach has been involved with college athletics for over 25 years.  She was named Horizon League Commissioner January 1, 2021. Julie oversees all League functions with special emphasis on strategic planning, membership, television, basketball strategies, championships, finances, and NCAA governance/compliance.  Prior to being named Commissioner, Julie joined the Horizon League in 2014 as Deputy Commissioner.  Lach worked at the NCAA for over 15 years, most recently serving as the vice president of enforcement from October 2010 to February 2013. After leaving the NCAA, Julie founded JRL Consulting which merged with CCHA Collegiate Consulting where Lach currently serves as Of Counsel with the CCHA Sports Law practice.  CCHA represents institutions and individuals on any type of NCAA matter, offers NCAA education and assessments of compliance practices in athletic departments and provides representation of individuals and coaches in contract and employment matters. 
 
Key Horizon League Accomplishments:

• Negotiated ESPN contract extension increasing commercial assets available to members and overall financial commitment
• Negotiated basketball championships extension with the Indiana State Fair Commission resulting in a seven-year run in Indianapolis (the longest yet for the League)
• Moved sponsorship sales in-house and set year-over-year sales records, including a title sponsor for the Basketball Championships in 2022
• Led effort to overhaul League governance structure resulting in student-athlete, SWA and FAR voice and vote alongside athletics directors
• Initiated first-ever League mental health grant committing $550,000 for member institutions’ use to serve the needs of student-athletes
• Launched the inaugural Coach John McLendon Day and launched McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative fellowship in the League office
• Signed League-wide Opendorse deal to promote student-athlete opportunities in NIL space with included launching the first conference-wide NIL marketplace in Division I
• Led effort for first-ever League-wide WeCoach partnership to support recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches

Lach earned her undergraduate degree from Millikin University where she was an All-American women’s basketball student-athlete and graduated summa cum laude. Lach is a Trustee Emeritus after serving on Millikin’s Board of Trustees from 2001-2010.  Lach attended the evening division of Indiana University McKinney School of Law, graduating cum laude. 
 
Awards and Recognition:

• IU McKinney School of Law Alumna of the year (2022)
• Indiana 250, developed and published by IBJ Media, the parent company of three news brands—Indianapolis Business Journal, Inside INdiana Business and Indiana Lawyer (2022-inaugural class, 2023, 2024)
• Women Leaders Nike Executive of the Year (2022)
• IBJ Forty Under 40 (2010)
• Inducted into Millikin University’s Athletics Hall of Fame (2002)
• CoSIDA’s Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009)
• Honorary Doctorate from Millikin after serving as the Commencement Speaker in 2012

NCAA Leadership:

• Serves on Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
• Chaired the Women’s Basketball Ad Hoc Recruiting Committee, which was responsible for overhauling the recruiting calendar and ultimately developed and implemented the first-ever “shutdown” period for coaches.
• Serves on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors as the NCAA Division I Commissioner Director.

Community Leadership:

• Chair of the Indiana Sports Commission Board of Directors and formerly chaired the Strategy and Events Committee.  . 
• Formerly chaired the IU McKinney School of Law Board of Visitors and previously served as president of McKinney’s Alumni Association.   
• Recently completed a six-year term on the Board of Directors of WeCoach, a national non-profit organization founded to recruit and retain women coaches.