Delta State University

The mission of Delta State University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to enhance the total student-athlete experience while developing student-athlete leadership skills, maintaining student-athlete welfare, and fostering a positive student-athlete image on the DSU campus, in the Cleveland community, and at the Gulf South Conference and National Collegiate Athletics Association levels.

SAAC promotes communication between athletic administration and student-athletes. Athletic programs have a wealth of information that needs to be routinely disseminated to the student-athletes, programs are interested in getting feedback from student-athletes about department policies and structure. 

The membership of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee represents our diverse student-athlete population and involves two representatives from every sport. Each member serves as a liaison between the committee and his or her individual team. An executive board including a chair, a vice chair, and representatives from each sport oversee the operations of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. All positions are held by student-athletes.

The committee also engages in community service and fundraising outside of their teams' efforts. The Division II National SAAC has a campaign every year that supports and raises funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

WHAT IS A STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTEE?
A 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 polices 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.

The membership of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee represents the diversity of your student-athlete population and involves at least two representatives from every sport. Each member serves as a liaison between the committee and his or her individual team. An executive board including a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer oversee the operations of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. All positions are held by student-athletes.

SAAC OBJECTIVES
    - Promote student-athlete welfare on an institutional level
    - Give student-athletes with a voice on intercollegiate matters
    - Gauge student-athlete response on conference and NCAA legislation
    - Disseminate information to student-athletes
    - Encourage communication and support between athletic programs
    - Increase campus awareness of athletic events
    - Encourage student-athlete involvement in the community
    - Create a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide committees

HISTORY OF THE NCAA SAAC 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 insuring 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, which expanded the SAAC to three SAACs representing NCAA Divisions I, II and III.  Each national divisional committee is comprised of female and male student-athletes that assist in the review of NCAA proposed legislation and represent the voice of the student-athlete in the NCAA governance structure. They provide student-athlete input on issues related to student-athlete welfare that are division-specific. Federation increased participation in the governance process by increasing the number of SAAC members from the former 28 student-athletes to a sum total of 79 members serving on the national Divisions I, II, and III committees. 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.

2023-2024 EXECUTIVE BOARD

2023-24 SAAC Sport Reps - Women's Sports  - Basketball  - Softball  - Softball  - Swim & Dive  - Basketball  - Soccer  - Soccer  - Cross Country  - Cheer  - Cross Country  - Tennis  - Tennis

2023-24 SAAC Sport Reps - Men's Sports - Basketball - Golf  - Cheer  - Swim & Dive  - Golf  - Swim & Dive  - Baseball - Tennis - Baseball  - Football - Football  - Soccer  - Tennis

Chair

Vice Chair