Grant Newton currently serves as General Counsel & Chief Strategy Officer at Conference USA. In this role, Newton partners with the Commissioner, executive leadership, and the Board of Directors by providing legal counsel across all functions of the Conference and by advancing strategic initiatives that further the Conference's long-term growth, competitive positioning, and business objectives.
As the league’s chief legal advisor, Newton provides counsel on complex legal and governance matters, including media rights, antitrust, labor and employment, litigation, intellectual property, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). He also leads the structuring, drafting, and negotiation of commercial agreements involving licensing, sponsorships, and other strategic business initiatives, while managing relationships with outside counsel to ensure effective legal representation and risk management.
Newton joined Conference USA in March 2025 as Senior Associate Commissioner and the league’s Chief Legal Officer. Prior to joining Conference USA, he practiced law at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Dallas, where his practice included commercial litigation and white-collar investigations, along with a particular focus on legal matters in professional and collegiate sports. Before his time at Vinson & Elkins, he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Judge David L. Russell in the Western District of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
Newton earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University Law School. During law school, he worked as a law clerk in Vanderbilt's Office of the General Counsel and as an extern for Nashville's Major League Soccer team, Nashville SC. Newton conducted his undergraduate studies at Oklahoma State University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration.
Newton is a native of Kingfisher, Okla., and currently resides in Dallas with his wife Kaci, daughter Sylvie and son Gabe.