University of Rhode Island

Kacey Light returned to Rhode Island as the University's Chief NCAA Compliance Officer in July of 2021. She enters her fifth year at the school in 2021-22.  

Light – who previously worked in URI’s compliance office from September of 2013 through May of 2017 – returns to Kingston after spending the 2020-21 school year as the Director of Compliance at the University of Massachusetts.

Before her time at UMass, Light was at The Ohio State University from May of 2017 through October of 2020. After spending her first year as an Assistant Director of Compliance, she was promoted to Associate Director of Compliance in the Fall of 2018.
 
As the Associate Director of Compliance, Light was a primary liaison to the academic support services office and registrar, overseeing both initial and continuing eligibility. This included creating academic recovery plans, reviewing progress toward degree, and submitting any necessary eligibility waivers. In her previous role with the Buckeyes, she assisted with financial aid and monitoring efforts.

In her first stint at Rhode Island, Light implemented the department’s NLI program, processed all grant-in-aid offers and monitored all aspects of financial aid in conjunction with enrollment services/financial aid staff. Additionally, she evaluated initial and transfer eligibility while maintaining institution request lists on NCAA Eligibility Center, working with academic advisors, university deans and registrar, as necessary.
 
Light began her compliance career at Central Connecticut State, her alma mater, as a compliance and marketing assistant. In her role there, Light designed an outreach program that included literacy and physical activity initiatives.  She also marketed all aspects of the athletics program to the community and organized the school's first celebrations of National Girls & Women in Sports Day and Read Across America. While at CCSU, Light was a compliance assistant working primarily with initial eligibility and rules education.

Light spent two years as an assistant girls rowing coach for Farmington Public Schools from 2011-13. She coached the girls Novice team to bronze medals at States both seasons, and helped the girls IV, 2V and 3V boats to gold-medal performances at States in 2013. Farmington was the Connecticut Public School state champion in 2013.

Light earned her master's degree from CCSU in physical education, with a sport studies concentration.

updated: 7/6/2021