Erica Baldaray (Pryor) serves as the Associate Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Leader (SWL), and Athletics Eligibility & Compliance Officer at Soka University of America. Promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in July 2026 after serving nine years as Assistant Director of Athletics, Baldaray provides leadership across multiple areas of the department, including athletics administration, NAIA compliance and eligibility, strategic planning, student-athlete development, and national governance.
A nationally recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics, Baldaray was named the 2025 NAIA Female Trailblazer of the Year in recognition of outstanding leadership and advocacy for women in athletics. She was formally recognized during the 2026 NAIA National Convention Awards Luncheon in Kansas City, Missouri.
Baldaray has established herself as an influential leader within the NAIA, serving on numerous national committees and leadership groups. In 2026, she was appointed to the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC), one of the association's primary governance bodies. She also serves as Vice President of the NAIA Senior Woman Leader Association (SWLA) after being elected as the organization's inaugural Vice President-Elect in 2024.
Her additional national service includes appointments to the NAIA Men's Soccer National Selection Committee, NAIA Drug Testing and Education Committee, NAIA R.I.S.E. Committee, the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) NAIA Committee, and the NAIA Athletics Compliance Administrator Association Leadership Board. Through these leadership roles, Baldaray has contributed to governance initiatives, student-athlete well-being, championship administration, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion efforts across the association.
An accomplished presenter and educator, Baldaray has spoken at numerous regional and national conferences on leadership development, the Senior Woman Leader designation, governance, and advancing women in collegiate athletics. She has presented for the NAIA Senior Woman Leader Lunch & Learn Series, the BOSCA Southern California Conference Summit, the MOAA-NAIA webinar series, the NAIA Governance and Leadership Academy, and NAIA National Convention educational sessions. She has also attended the NAIA R.I.S.E. Governance and Leadership Academy with its second cohort and has served as a keynote speaker for the CIF Southern Section's National Girls and Women in Sports Day "Girls Got Game" Summit.
Since joining Soka University in 2008, Baldaray has held progressively responsible leadership roles within the athletics department. Prior to becoming Assistant Director of Athletics in 2017, she served as Sports Information Coordinator and Eligibility & Compliance Officer beginning in 2012. She has led numerous departmental initiatives while overseeing compliance operations, strategic communications, student-athlete leadership programming, and athletics administration. She also serves as co-advisor to Soka's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has presented leadership development sessions for California Pacific Conference student-athletes.
Beyond her administrative responsibilities, Baldaray has played an instrumental role in advancing opportunities for women in athletics. She was appointed the inaugural Chair of the California Pacific Conference Senior Woman Leader Council in 2022 and has been actively involved with Women Leaders in Sports, WeCOACH, NACDA, N4A, and MOAA. Her leadership has been recognized through numerous honors, including the Concordia University Irvine MCAA Alumni of Excellence Award in 2024, the ACE in Athletics #AceChallenge recognition, and multiple institutional and national leadership features.
Prior to transitioning into athletics administration, Baldaray built an extensive coaching background spanning youth, high school, NCAA, and NAIA soccer. She served as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the Soka University women's soccer program from 2008-2012, helping launch the Lions' inaugural NAIA women's soccer program. She has also coached within the Cal South Olympic Development Program and various youth soccer organizations throughout Southern California. She holds a United States Soccer Federation National "D" Coaching License.
Baldaray earned a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton, where she was a standout student-athlete. A four-year midfielder for the Titans from 2002-2005, she earned two All-Big West Conference selections, Academic All-Conference honors, and helped lead Cal State Fullerton to the NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen during the most successful season in program history to date. She also served as President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represented student-athletes on several university governance committees.
She earned her Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletics Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2022 and serves as an adjunct faculty member in Concordia's Master of Coaching and Athletics Administration program, where she teaches graduate courses in athletics leadership and administration. Baldaray also holds an Inclusive Leader Certificate and Mental Health First Aid certification.
Erica, her husband Johnny, and their dog Higgins reside in Irvine, California.
