NCAA Continues Move To Give Student-Athletes More Power In Making Decisions
Friday, April 14, 2023 at 05:18PM By Barry Janoff
April 14, 2023: Calling it a move that would “further ensure that all Div. I members are incorporating views of college athletes in local decisions that directly impact their college experiences,” the NCAA Div. I Council unanimously approved a Transformation Committee proposal that will require student-athlete voices to be included in decision-making at the school and conference levels.
The proposal, developed in collaboration with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, comes as more student-athletes are participating in marketing and sponsorship deals under the Name, Image and Likeness policy initiated by the NCAA in 2021.
All Div. I schools and conferences will be required to:
• Appoint at least one senior staff member to oversee the respective SAAC.
• Establish an executive team (at minimum, to include a chair and vice chair) for the SAAC.
• Include at least one college athlete in special issues committees that are considering issues that directly impact student-athletes.
The rules will take effect in August.
"Though many Div. I schools and conferences may already be meeting these requirements, these rules will further ensure that all Div. I members are incorporating views of college athletes in local decisions that directly impact their college experiences," Lynda Tealer, executive associate athletics director at Florida and chair of the Div. I Council, said via the group.
Conferences are being “encouraged to establish sport-specific student-athlete engagement groups in — at minimum — football (where applicable), men's basketball and women's basketball.”
If such groups are established, members of the groups would meet annually with conference coaches groups.
The council said it also “discussed and expressed support for concepts under consideration” by the Div. I Board later this month related to increased benefits for college athletes.
As currently proposed, the model would require all Div. I members to guarantee enhanced support for current and former college athletes.
That includes degree completion funds for ten years following the conclusion of a student's athletics experience and increased access to medical coverage for athletically related injuries for a minimum of two years following graduation or the completion of their athletics experience.
In addition, the model would require “expanded campus-level support for mental health services for student-athletes and increased programming in areas such as mental health; diversity, equity, and inclusion; career preparation; and strength and conditioning (among others), in addition to mandating annual attestation of meeting requirements to provide academic support services, career counseling and life skills programming.
If approved by the Board of Directors (at its meeting in April), additional benefits would take effect in August 2024, to allow time for member schools to put these benefits into place.
In offering its support for the concepts, the council “stressed that Division I should explore a funding model to assist schools with meeting some of these requirements.”
"I'm extremely proud of the contributions DI National SAAC has made to the decision-making process at the NCAA for several years,” Ami Gianchandani, golf student-athlete at Yale and vice-chair of Div. I SAAC, said via the group.
“Those contributions have culminated in new rules for student-athlete representation at every level, not just in the NCAA.
“We are confident that conferences and schools will benefit from receiving direct input from their student-athletes and that our peers throughout Division I will step up to offer meaningful perspectives that positively impact college sports for all."
NCAA Reduces Its Power, Enhances Decision-Making By Student-Athletes
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