The student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. The SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations, and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

Presently, there are separate national SAACs for NCAA Divisions I, II and III. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses. Further, NCAA legislation requires that all member conferences have SAACs.

The information that follows will assist you in understanding how the network of SAACs, from individual campus committees to the conference and/or national committees, interact and support one another to shape intercollegiate athletics policy and enhance the student-athlete experience.

HISTORY OF THE NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

An Association-wide SAAC was adopted at the 1989 NCAA Convention and was formed primarily to review and offer student-athlete input on NCAA activities and proposed legislation that affected student-athlete welfare.

The initial national committee was comprised of student-athletes from all membership divisions for the purpose of ensuring that the student-athlete voice was one that accounted for the myriad of educational and athletic experiences of both female and male student-athletes at all NCAA member institutions. In August 1997, the NCAA federated along divisional lines. The federation caused the SAAC to expand to three SAACs representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Each national divisional committee is comprised of both female and male student-athletes charged with the responsibility of assisting in the review of NCAA proposed legislation and representing the voice of the student-athlete in the NCAA governance structure. This is accomplished by providing student-athlete input on issues related to student-athlete welfare that are division-specific. (Federation has increased student-athlete participation in the governance process of intercollegiate athletics by increasing the number of SAAC members from the former Association-wide committee of 28 student-athletes to a sum total of 79 members serving on the national Divisions I, II, and III committees).

The input of the respective Divisions I, II and III SAACs continues to be sought by a variety of constituencies within the Association. Student-athlete committee members have the opportunity to speak with their respective

NCAA Management Councils, and the Divisions II and III SAACs continue to speak to legislative issues on the NCAA Convention floor.

DIVISION II

The Division II SAAC consists of one student-athlete representative from each of the Division II multi-sport voting conferences, one student-athlete representative of Division II independent institutions, and two student-athlete at-large positions.

The Division II SAAC affects the legislative process via an annual summit held each July with the Division II Management Council, during which members of the SAAC have an opportunity to interact with members of the Management Council on proposed NCAA legislation and current Division II issues. Also, committee members participate in the NCAA Convention each January where they express the student-athlete voice on collective concerns regarding proposed Division II legislation.

Division II national SAAC members actively take the lead in addressing issues facing Division II student-athletes such as the development of campus and conference SAACs, Title IX education, faculty/student-athlete relations and championships enhancements.

Division II National SAAC Mission Statement and Purpose

The mission of the NCAA Division II SAAC is to enhance the voice of the student-athlete to ensure the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image.

Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Guiding Principles

Division II SAAC will be guided by the following principles:  ethics, integrity, fairness and a respect for diversity and inclusion, which includes, but is not limited to, attention to gender, race, ethnicity and sport.

Division II SAAC’s purpose is meant to reflect the voice of the student-athlete and should adhere to the following guiding principle in all of its processes and decision making:  The well-being of student-athletes is at the center of what SAAC does:

1. Any process must be flexible and timely, and include effective communication.
2. Decisions must be fair, reasonable, and consider the potential impact on the student-athlete.

Governing Rule

We, as the NCAA Division II National SAAC, will ultimately hold one another accountable for all actions, particularly those actions taking place during the SAAC meetings.

Campus SAAC: Campus SAAC representatives are responsible for discussing issues affecting student-athletes at the campus level and forwarding said information to the conference SAAC.

Conference SAAC: Conference SAAC representatives are responsible for collecting feedback from the campuses, forming a conference perspective and forwarding that perspective to the national SAAC. Conference SAACs serve as the vital link between the campus and national SAACs. Without their communication to the campus and national levels, the student-athlete voice is lost within the structure.

National SAAC: National SAAC representatives are responsible for gathering conference feedback and representing their views at the national level. They are also charged with forwarding information addressed at the national level (e.g., legislation, issues affecting student-athletes) to their conference SAAC representatives.

FSU S.A.A.C.

Fayetteville State University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee plays an important role in bridging the gap between administrative personnel and the student-athletes at FSU. The committee is designed to incorporate ideas and opinions from student-athletes into legislative decisions that will affect our academic and athletic pursuits. FSU student-athletes are developing valuable leadership skills as they address changes in rules and regulations, organize community service events, and build a positive image for collegiate athletes.

HOW CAN I BE A MEMBER OF S.A.A.C. AT FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY?

For information on becoming a member of the student-athlete advisory committee at Fayetteville State University, please contact Deron Norwood, Associate AD for Compliance at dnorwood@uncfsu.edu. 


Mental Health and Wellness Playbook