Keeping Order

Lauren Frost following her heart and the rules as athletics compliance director

Lauren Frost, jd ’17, interned in athletics compliance while studying at Washburn University School of Law. She now runs the compliance operations at Washburn Athletics. Photo by Jeremy Wangler

By Jeremy Wangler
From The Ichabod - Fall 2023

Somewhere within the struggles and triumphs of athletics and the rigor of completing a college degree lie the rules and regulations governing what it is to be a student-athlete.

At Washburn University, Lauren Frost, jd ’17, studies those rules and regulations as associate athletic director for compliance and senior woman administrator. Among other duties, she makes sure student-athletes pass enough classes to stay eligible, coaches follow recruiting guidelines and administrators are aware of any new issues.

Her job is a perfect combination of the things she loves. She’s a sports fan who grew up in Topeka. She earned an accounting degree from the University of Kansas and a law degree from Washburn University School of Law. She even likes the rigid attention to detail her work demands. Seeing teams compete in the postseason and win championships is a bonus.

“Game days are exciting, and what we provide the community is awesome,” Frost said. “Sports seem to bring people together. There's a lot of triumph of the human heart and spirit, and that draws me to it.”

Frost decided to go to Washburn Law during her senior year studying accounting. She said a business degree can help someone through everyday life, but adding a law degree was always on her mind. Early in her legal studies, she realized she didn’t want to be a courtroom attorney, so she looked for other ways to use her degree. Shawn Leisinger, jd ’99, associate dean for centers and external programs at Washburn Law, recommended externing for Britt Lauritsen, Washburn’s compliance director at the time. Lauritsen took on Frost and it turned into a full-year internship.

“After the internship, I knew I wanted to go this route,” Frost said. “Something clicked right away, and I owe a lot of credit to Britt because she let me ask the questions and explore this world however I wanted.”

Frost graduated and worked a handful of jobs around the country in law and athletics compliance. During that time, Lauritsen left Washburn to become athletic director at Bemidji State University. Lauritsen remained a mentor to Frost and made sure she knew the position opened. Frost was hired in July 2022 and was happy to return home.

Like accounting or practicing law, Frost’s new job is full of ever-changing rules and regulations. New issues like the NCAA transfer portal, student-athletes possibly being deemed as employees and student-athletes profiting off their name, image and likeness keep her busy, as does making sure student-athletes, coaches and administrators follow the rules.

“Some of those national issues are a small piece of what I do on the day to day, but they’re a big piece in terms of where college athletics is going,” she said. “College-aged students are at the time in their life when they navigate a lot of changes. They can use sports to cope with their life, their struggles. And at the same time, they can expose their talent and show the world what they're made of. When I was their age, I didn't know anything, and you really rely on people to help you through things. I’ve always wanted to give back and help. I made it a priority to make sure I paid it forward.”