Meet the NCAA National Office: "What do we do?"
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Divisional SAACs
& Awards
SAAC Influences speaks to how the DI SAAC has been involved throughout the membership, specifically on sub-committees, ad hoc committees, think tanks, etc.
2005-2006
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Think Tank
A group of about 30 NCAA coaches, administrators and student-athletes joined representatives from the
FARA Legislative Review Committee
A committee created to give student-athletes and FAR?s an opportunity to discuss, debate and examine positions on issues, not unlike the exchange that takes place in the classroom. The SAAC chair and vice-chair provide the committees with a student-athlete perspective and serve as an important resource for faculty throughout the legislative review process. Those selected SAAC members are engaged at every level of the debate. SAAC representatives will be in part responsible for preparing a legislative review report that serves as a guide for FAR?s in discussions with their presidents and chancellors. This relationship is mutually beneficial for both faculty and student-athletes as they work together to advance the student-athlete experience.
Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee
A committee created by the NCAA Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This committee has the specific charge to identify strategies and recommendations that will enable the NCAA to foster the diversity of student-athletes; promote a climate of inclusion within intercollegiate athletics; enhance equitable career opportunities for underrepresented coaches, officials and administrators; and strengthen the support, integration and promotion of women?s sports within intercollegiate athletics.
Fall Legislative Internet Meetings
This fall teleconference meeting was created to help educate DI National SAAC members, and their Conference SAAC liaisons about the most pressing legislative issues of the upcoming year. The intention of this meeting is to help the DI SAAC to engage their peers in an informed and educated discussion with their campus administrators at an earlier point in the legislative cycle.
Presidential Task Force
SAAC aided this group with feedback regarding student-athlete well-being in a number of areas.
2003-04
Financial Aid: Now we will be able to earn nonathletics related financial aid up to the full cost of attendance. The cost of attendance is a dollar amount established by the university/college based on the cost of living in the particular campus area. This value is generally $2,000 to $4,000 more than a current full scholarship that includes: tuition, books, fees, room and board. It is important to understand that this additional scholarship money can only come from institutional financial aid outside of athletics or outside financial aid unrelated to athletics. That is, the money will come in the form of grants or scholarships based on grades, high-school involvement, etc. (anything that is not associate with athletics). (NCAA Proposal No. 2002-83-A.)
Medical Expenses: Now our schools will be allowed to provide us with medical expenses associated with: surgery, medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy and dental expenses, for any injury or illness, regardless of whether or not it occurred during the academic year or summer vacation period. (Proposal No. 2003-139.)
Working with No Cap for Athletes: Proposal No. 2002-21 which was adopted by the NCAA membership over a year ago, exempted the earnings of student-athletes from counting against team scholarship limits. One of the resounding reasons this proposal passed was due to strong comments by the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in support of this proposal.
Foreign
Incentives and Disincentives: A new program will be established that appropriately measures our teams' academic performance. That is to say, new rules are in place that penalize teams with poor academic performance and reward teams that demonstrate commitment towards academic progress. (Proposal Nos. 2003-112, 2003-113 and 2003-114.)
Transfer Rules (One-Time Transfer Exception): SAAC expressed a concern about the one-time transfer exception. With that concern, a working group was established to figure out how to tackle the problem. They are still in progress. (Prohibiting student-athletes in basketball, football and men's ice hockey from using the one-time transfer exception negatively impacts the welfare of student-athletes in those sports.) The Division I athletics culture has changed since the adoption of this bylaw and it no longer serves the interest of protecting revenue sports or their student-athletes from the "free agent" market system. The competitive nature of all Division I sports is such that it is impossible to differentiate the necessity of excluding these sports from being able to use the one-time transfer exception. Any student-athlete should have the opportunity to possibly use the one-time transfer exception in order to find the best "fit" for his or her academic and athletics pursuits. Finally, the committee notes all the current provisions of the one-time transfer exception would still exist (e.g., transfer release from the students previous NCAA or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics institution) and will serve as adequate safeguards from possible abuses of the rule).
Time Demands for Multi-Sport Athletes: This August, the 20-hour rule will now apply to multi-sport student-athletes. This important legislation dramatically enhances the well-being of multi-sport student-athletes, as it will now appear feasible to compete in something we love. For those of you who like numbers, this legislation is known as Proposal No. 2003-16. But, for the more literal mind, the legislation reads as such: To specify that a multi-sport student-athlete's participation in countable athletically related activities shall not exceed a total of 20 hours per week and four hours per day.
Time Demands: Proposed there is a problem with too many time demands being placed on student-athletes which resulted in the formation of the working group called the NCAA Working Group to Study the 20/8-Hour Rule. We had two student-athletes sit on the committee which produced educational material to help educate about what is and is not required as a student-athlete.
SAAC Appointment Process: The old process had the NCAA Division I Management Council elect our new members. As of April 2004, SAAC is now allowed to elect their peers.
Men's Basketball and Football Advisory Committee: SAAC put together an advisory committee of high-profile student-athletes in order to gain their insight and have better representation of the high-profile student-athletes.
Student-Athlete
Amateurism and Endorsement: SAAC was concerned with the model and requested that the Management Council refer the issue of nonsport specific amateurism and commercial endorsements to the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Agents and Amateurism for discussion and possible legislative changes. Further, the committee requests that the Management Council direct the cabinet to include several student-athletes from the SAAC in its discussion on this issue.
SAAC Newsletter: Our mission as SAAC is to make sure all of our student-athletes are receiving the important information. We established the SAAC newsletter to inform our student-athletes of the important issues.
Travel Safety: Our committee felt it was important to make sure all of our student-athletes are traveling safely; therefore, we have suggested having a national ruling on travel (currently in progress).
Summer School Prior to Full-Time Enrollment: Our committee supported having student-athletes have the option to attain extra academic credit prior to their freshmen year in order to help them comply with the 40/60/80.
Voting Above the Subcommittee Level: We are in the process of gaining voting power on the Management Council.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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