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Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

Avery Hellmuth
Committee Chair: Avery Hellmuth, women's volleyball, Oklahoma Baptist University 

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) serves as the primary governance arm representing student-athlete interests in Division II affairs. SAAC members serve as student-athlete liaisons that monitor and discuss happenings on campuses, within conference and at the national level.

Representatives are responsible for gathering feedback and reporting on behalf of their conference, as well as relaying important events, hot topics and educational information to both the campus and conference levels. In addition to relaying information across campuses and conferences, the committee speaks on behalf of the entire Division II student-athlete body throughout the NCAA governance structure.

Division II SAAC members serve as voting members on a number of Division II committees, including the Management Council and Executive Board. The SAAC also has voting authority during the Division II Business Session at the annual NCAA Convention.

Currently 28 members, including representatives from each of the 23 Division II multisport voting conferences, three at-large representatives, and two members of the Management Council. The two members of the Management Council and one member of the Executive Board serve as ex-officio and nonvoting members.

The Division II SAAC Nominating Subcommittee selects national committee members from a diverse pool of candidates that conference offices submit. The Division II Administrative Committee ratifies the appointments, and each student-athlete serves a non-renewable three-year term; however the student-athlete may serve only up to one year after exhausting his or her eligibility.

Proceedings:

For previous documents, please fill out the Archived Document Request Form.

Best Practice Guides:

DII SAAC Initiatives:

Student-Athlete Resources:

Division II SAAC Assets:

Make-A-Wish Foundation:

The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee established the division’s partnership with Make-A-Wish in 2003 and continues to drive the initiative. Institutions can earn a wish reveal by fundraising the national average cost of granting a wish, which is currently $10,000. Institutions that fundraise less than $10,000 in an academic year could be eligible for a model adopted in 2015 in which money collected from championship and enforcement fines are added to institutional fundraising totals to allow institutions the opportunity to host a wish reveal on campus.

Learn more about Division II’s Make-A-Wish partnership and view the division’s annual fundraising totals here.

NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee letter to Congress

The Division I NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee sent a letter to Congress in March of 2025 supporting legislation to guide the future of college sports.

Resolution in Support of NCAA Divisions I, II, and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

Whereas, the NCAA Divisions I, II, and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committees have presented a letter dated March 3, 2025, urging members of the U.S. Congress to maintain the distinct classification of student-athletes as individuals separate from being reclassified as employees of their respective institutions;

Whereas, collegiate athletics play a vital role in fostering personal, academic, and athletic development, teamwork, discipline, and leadership among student-athletes;

Whereas, the current status of student-athletes recognizes the fundamental principle of the collegiate student-athlete model, allowing students to participate in sports while pursuing their education;

Whereas, being classified as students rather than employees ensures student-athletes benefit from academic support services, scholarships, and other educational opportunities, contributing to their overall academic success;

Whereas, the reclassification of student-athletes as employees could undermine the core principles of the collegiate student-athlete model, leading to significant changes in the landscape of collegiate sports; and Whereas, considering student-athletes as employees may create financial burdens on institutions and potentially restrict opportunities for student-athletes from lower profile sports programs;

Be it resolved that both the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives, representing the Faculty Athletics Representatives at the more than 1,100 NCAA campuses, fully support the NCAA Divisions I, II, and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in their statement to the members of the U.S. Congress to retain the distinct classification of student-athletes as students rather than reclassifying them as employees of their institutions.

Respectfully,
The Executive Committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives Association 
The Board of Directors of the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives

An Open Letter to NCAA Student-Athletes on Mental Health

Student-athlete leaders in all three divisions collaborate on a joint statement about mental health in college athletics.