Rice University announced that it has recruited Tasha (Schwikert) Moser to be its associate athletic director of name, image and likeness and general manager days after the NCAA’s historic $2.8 billion House settlement paved the way for schools to pay student athletes.
Moser, a former Olympic and world champion gymnast, joins Rice after a six-year run as a corporate lawyer at Munck Wilson Mandala, where she founded and led the firm’s NIL consulting department, providing strategic counsel to universities, athletes and brands navigating the evolving NIL landscape.
At Rice, Moser will lead the athletic department’s advancement of NIL and opportunities for Rice’s student-athletes stemming from the House settlement. She will serve as the primary resource for all aspects of the NIL process for the university’s student-athletes, as well as the liaison on NIL-related matters between third-party partners of Rice Athletics and the South Main Collective.
Additionally, she will work with head coaches and other sport staff on roster management and initiate regular meetings with university and campus stakeholders on NIL matters.
Houston sports is a family business now for the Mosers; Tasha’s husband Mike is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets.
“It was essential that we find a leader with both experience and passion to guide our NIL efforts — someone who genuinely understands and champions the student-athlete experience,” Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland said in a press release.
“Tasha’s journey — from excelling as a world-class gymnast to becoming a highly successful attorney with deep experience in the NIL space — perfectly positions her for this moment. She will play a leading role in building a new and essential unit within our athletics department.”
Moser was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics team that won a bronze medal and was an alternate for the 2004 team, which won silver.
She is now a member of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors and serves as co-chair of the special committee for more than 500 survivors of abuse by Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor.
“Being able to be a voice for the approximately 500 survivors is just incredible,” Moser told The Lawbook in a 2020 profile. “Most don’t have a legal background, so navigating through this is challenging … The work that I do with the survivor committee is one of the most impactful things I’ve done. While I’m a lawyer, I’m also one of the plaintiffs. It’s an interesting spot to be in.”