ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– At the end of September, senior captain Emily Huffer traveled to the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis to take part in the Division I National SAAC meeting. The NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members serve as a “representation of all 160,000 Division I student-athletes, ” according to the NCAA page.
After returning to UNM at the conclusion of the meeting, Huffer shared some insight as to how she became involved, what the experience was like and what she learned during her time there.
How did the opportunity come about?
The National representative for the Mountain West Conference was unable to attend the meeting in Indianapolis because she is a soccer player and currently in season. Not being in season and having attended the Mountain West Conference in-person meeting last May, I was offered the opportunity to represent the MWC as the national representative.
How many other people were a part of the group- was there a representative from every conference? Were there student-athletes represented from each sport?
In total, there were 32 representatives, one from each Division I conference. Multiple sports were represented, from football to gymnastics.
What was the experience like?
The experience was amazing. Having the opportunity to be surrounded by so many proactive student-athletes who are trying to improve the overall student-athlete experience for institutions across the nation was one of a kind.
What are some of the activities that they had you do? What was discussed and what did you learn during your time there?
We had meetings over a two-day period. We went over new legislation and talked about proposals that may be coming into effect over the next couple years. There were NCAA employees there with us and they listened to our opinions on the new legislation, since it would be directly affecting us. The new transfer portal was also discussed in detail, which will make transferring a much simpler task and easier on the student-athletes and compliance.
A business called One Shirt One Body came in and talked to us about their idea to have each athlete at a university donate one t-shirt to a child at a local school, and reach a goal of 100,000 donated t-shirts by March Madness. We were also part of a focus group to help update the NCAA’s strategic plan.
The weekend’s purpose was to allow DI conferences to get together, vote on important matters, get up-to-date on what other institutes are doing, and to be the voice of all student-athletes across the nation.
What did you get out of the experience?
Personally, I left the meeting with a better grasp on what other SAAC conferences and campuses are doing and how they are bettering their athletes and the communities around them. From spreading awareness in mental health, to participating in community services with local elementary schools, the SAAC representatives are doing everything they can to be the student’s voice and create a better collegiate experience.
Huffer and the Lobos begin their season this Friday at the Pac Invitational in Stockton, Calif., with the first event scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.