Jessica Presnall named SEC Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

BIRMINGHAM, A.L. – Jessica Presnall has been named Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for the Southeastern Conference, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced on Thursday.

“We are pleased to welcome Jessica Presnall to the Southeastern Conference staff as our Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel,” said Sankey. “Jessica brings extensive expertise to a position that will operate at the intersection of law, higher education, business, and collegiate athletics for the SEC. Her background uniquely positions her to guide our legal strategy during a pivotal time for the Conference and for college sports.”

Presnall joins the SEC from the Big 12 Conference, where she most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. In that role, she led contract negotiations for a six-year, multi-billion-dollar media rights extension with Fox and ESPN. She also directed consulting efforts to examine strategic financial opportunities for the conference; served as lead counsel on high-visibility sponsorship agreements, including the league’s first conference-wide sponsorship arrangement; and facilitated the admission of four Autonomy institutions while managing the early departure of two former members.

She also played a central role in the negotiation and implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement and represented the Big 12 in the launch of the College Sports Commission responsible for implementing settlement terms.

As Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for the SEC, Presnall will serve as the Conference’s chief legal advisor, providing counsel to the Commissioner, senior leadership, and member institutions on major matters including media rights, antitrust, labor and employment, national litigation, intellectual property, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies. She will also support innovative commercial partnerships and strategic business initiatives, drafting and negotiating agreements involving media rights, licensing, sponsorships, and postseason football, and will manage relationships with outside counsel to ensure strong representation for the Conference.

Before her most recent role, Presnall served the Big 12 in a series of progressively senior leadership positions, including Chief Legal & Business Affairs Officer (2024-25), Chief Legal Officer (2023-24), Vice President for Legal Affairs & Compliance (2022-23), Assistant Commissioner for Compliance & Governance and Legal Counsel (2019-22), Director of Compliance & Governance and Legal Counsel (2018-19), and Assistant Director for Compliance & Governance (2015-18).

Presnall began her career as Assistant Director for Compliance at Baylor University from 2013-15.

Presnall earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2013 after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Public Relations from Oklahoma State University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2010.

Widely respected in her field, Presnall was recently named to Sports Business Journal’s Class of 2025 “Game Changers.” She has also been recognized within the Dallas legal community, including being named D CEO’s 2025 Most Outstanding General Counsel and selection to D Magazine’s 2025 Top 500 Executives in Dallas. In 2024, she was honored as Dallas Women Lawyers Association Outstanding Corporate Counsel.

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