Toby Baldwin

As Counsel at Sandberg Phoenix, Toby Baldwin advises clients on matters involving collegiate sports law, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and estate planning. Based in the firm’s Duncan, Oklahoma office, Toby brings more than three decades of experience in collegiate athletics, NCAA compliance, sports law and NIL matters to Sandberg Phoenix’s growing capabilities in these areas.

Toby’s extensive experience on both the legal and athletics sides of college sports allows him to provide strategic guidance to institutions, athletic departments, coaches, student-athletes and other stakeholders navigating the increasingly complex landscape of collegiate athletics and NIL. His practice also includes estate planning, where he helps individuals and families develop thoughtful plans to protect their assets and provide for their futures.

Toby began his career in NCAA compliance in 1990 as a compliance assistant in the University of Oklahoma’s Athletics Department, where he focused on rules education. He later served as Assistant Athletic Director at Oral Roberts University, overseeing NCAA compliance, student-athlete academics, initial and continuing eligibility, financial aid, personnel, budgets, travel and scheduling for 12 sports while completing his law degree.

Before returning to the University of Oklahoma in 2008, Toby practiced law for nine years and served as the principal partner of Baldwin & Associates, PLLC, where he focused on sports law, oil and gas law and real estate law. He represented numerous institutions, coaches and student-athletes involved in NCAA investigations, including matters before the NCAA Committee on Infractions, and assisted with eligibility appeals.

Upon returning to the University of Oklahoma, Toby served as Director of Compliance until 2022, when he was appointed Executive Associate Athletic Director for Name, Image, Likeness and Operational Advancement. In that role, he helped guide the university through the rapidly evolving NIL landscape and the operational challenges facing modern collegiate athletics.

Toby earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa in 1999 and a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from the United States Sports Academy in 1991. His decades of experience provide him with a unique perspective on the legal, regulatory and operational issues affecting collegiate athletics and the individuals and organizations involved in the industry.

In his free time, Toby enjoys spending time with his family, ranching, church, and traveling.