What is the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)?

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) provides a forum for communication between NYIT's student-athletes and athletics administration. The organization serves as a vehicle for education and dissemination of information in an attempt to develop and maintain positive student-athlete, staff and faculty relations. SAAC also seeks to promote mutual support for athletes on campus, to become politically active when needed and to arrange social events for all student-athletes.

Purpose of SAAC

• Encourage communication between the athletics department and student-athletes
• Provide a forum for student-athletes to discuss issues of concern regarding athletics department policies and procedures, as well as current and proposed legislation by the NCAA
• Promote unity between and among athletic teams at NYIT
• Encourage support for the NYIT athletics department in both the campus and local communities through service activities

Student-Athlete Responsibilities

• Attend bi-monthly meetings and SAAC related activities. Meetings are held every other Tuesday at 1pm in the Hall of Fame lobby
• Encourage all NYIT student-athletes to participate in SAAC initiatives
• Inform NYIT student-athletes of SAAC meeting discussions and obtain feedback

Community Service

• Each team will be required to perform one community service project per year
• The SAAC will be responsible for one community service project per year
• The SAAC will raise money for the NCAA Division II Make-A-Wish Foundation Campaign each year

Subcommittees - each SAAC member must be on one subcommittee

• Special Events Promotions
  • Helps the NYIT athletic department promote special events within the community
• Social Events
  • Responsible for any social events initiated by the SAAC. Includes generating ideas and overseeing the logistics of the event
• Student-Athlete Well-Being
  • Responsible for issues and concerns related to student-athlete well-being

History of the 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 athletics 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.