Janet Akinola joined SMU Athletics as the Director of Compliance in September of 2022 and was named Assistant A.D. for Compliance in June of 2024.
For the Mustangs, Akinola helps to facilitate compliance for student-athletes, coaches, and staff to ensure members of the SMU community are knowledgeable about NCAA rules and regulations.
Prior to SMU, Akinola worked as the Assistant Director of Compliance at the University of Houston from 2018. She began her tenure in athletics while in law school in Villanova's athletic department. Akinola continued her growth as a compliance professional at the University of San Diego.
Akinola earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice with a minor in business administration from the University of Delaware. She earned a law degree at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in 2017. She has also passed the State Bar exam in New Jersey in 2017 and the State Bar exam in Texas in 2022.
