Stephanie Castera

Castera was named Assistant Commissioner for Institutional Services on November 22, 2013 and began her duties with the OVC in January 2014. In February 2015 she added the role of Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).

Castera manages NCAA Division I governance, legislative and policy matters while overseeing legislative and compliance issues on behalf of the OVC. She serves as a liaison to the OVC Senior Compliance Administrators, Faculty Athletic Representatives (FAR's), Senior Woman Administrators (SWA's), Academic Services Administrators and various groups within the OVC governance structure.

Castera also manages the NCAA Student Assistance Fund Program on behalf of OVC membership, coordinates the nomination and selection process for OVC Academic Awards and serves as the assistant tournament manager for the OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championship, a role she also held for the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball 1st and 2nd Rounds which the OVC hosted in Nashville. She previously oversaw the OVC Volleyball Championship and Track & Field Championships.

Castera currently serves on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Board of Directors as well as the NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee.

Castera joined the OVC staff after spending six-plus years working at the NCAA in several different roles. She started as an intern in the NCAA Eligibility Center in June 2007 and was in that role for a year before being hired as a coordinator in Academic and Membership Affairs. After nine months in the role as coordinator, Castera was promoted to assistant director, a position she held until joining the OVC staff.

In her role at the NCAA she was a member of the Division I legislation team where she drafted proposals, editorial revisions and question and answer documents and assisted in NCAA Manual production. Castera was also a liaison to the NCAA Division I Amateurism Cabinet, the Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee and the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), as she provided legislative, interpretive and membership expertise to each group.

She was also an internal liaison to the NCAA Eligibility Center's Amateurism Certification Team, a member of the Interpretation Leadership Development Team, a Rules Working Group member and the primary liaison to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Castera also helped evaluate Division I APR Improvement Plans as well as analyzing and processing Division I penalty waivers. Castera has extensive experience in academic issues, including initial-eligibility issues, and was a regular presenter at NCAA regional rules seminars.

Castera received her undergraduate degree in sport administration from Ball State University in June 2006. At Ball State she was a student-athlete on the volleyball team. Following graduation she served a summer internship with the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

Castera received her Master's degree in sports administration higher education from Ball State in December 2007. During that time she served as a graduate assistant, teaching physical education/wellness classes in the Ball State Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Science Department.

A native of Remsen, Iowa, Castera and her husband Luis currently reside in Nashville with their two children, Luis and Cruz.