The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes. This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential. 

What You’ll Learn

Both participating student-athletes and attending administrators and coaches return from the forum with enhanced leadership capabilities that allow them to thrive personally, professionally and even athletically. Learners are assigned to a “color team” with about 30 other attendees, and within those frequent color team sessions, they work in an open environment with trained facilitators to engage in discussions regarding leadership and its many components. They build a family of team members that encourages vulnerability, challenges one another with diverse perspectives, and provides unconditional support during and after the program.

In addition to impactful color team sessions, they feel the rewards of a community service project, learn about the inner workings of the NCAA, and hear from resonant keynote speakers who share powerful stories and teachings. Active learning is a priority for all facilitators and speakers at Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is the participants’ ability to learn and grow alongside newly forged connections who often remain valuable for decades to come. After four days on-site, participants return to campus or conference offices feeling rejuvenated, connected and confident.

Objectives

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of attending the Leadership Forum, participants will be given the opportunity to:

• Clarify individual values.
• Assess behavioral styles to enhance communication.
• Explore how values and behavior shape their unique leadership style.
• Gain a better understanding of the NCAA, their Division and the role of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).
• Discuss issues affecting student-athletes today.
• Explore the role of service in leadership success.
• Grow personally and professionally.
• Gain a new network of friends and colleagues.
• Develop a greater appreciation for diversity.

Action Outcomes:

As a result of attending the Leadership Forum, participants will be given the opportunity to:

• Improve communication among student-athletes, coaches and administrators.                              
• Establish an inter-conference and regional network of peers and mentors.                              
• Gain ideas on how to improve campus, conference and national SAAC communication, and share these ideas with their campus or conference.                              
• Improve student-athlete well-being by engaging in the examination of critical divisional issues.                              
• Share what they learned about the NCAA with other student-athletes.

Who is Eligible

To participate in the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, student-athletes and administrators must meet the following criteria:

Divisional Selection Process:

• Division I: Each conference office will nominate two (2) student-athletes from among their member schools and one (1) administrator from active member schools or the conference office to attend.
• Division II: Each conference office will nominate three (3) student-athletes from among their member schools and one (1) administrator from active member schools or the conference office to attend.
• Division III: All schools in an identified region are able to submit nominations based on a first-come, first-served basis. Each eligible school within the designated region can send up to two student-athletes and one administrator. For the November 2025 forum, Division III institutions in Region 4 are eligible for nomination.
  • Region 4:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming View full list of Region 4 states and schools.

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be a current student-athlete with NCAA athletic eligibility in the 2025-26 academic year.
• Must participate in an NCAA-sponsored sport.
• Must be in good academic standing according to institutional requirements.
• Must demonstrate leadership ability or potential.
• Selected student-athletes must represent different sports.

Additional Requirements:

• Student-athletes nominated must have different gender identities. Ex.) one female student-athlete and one male student-athlete (Single-gender institutions may nominate same gender student-athletes).
• Division I and Division II conference offices will select a conference office administrator to attend.
• Division III institutions will select a coach, administrator or faculty member.
• It is strongly encouraged that at least one of the participants is a person of color or international representative (international status based on country of primary citizenship).
• All student-athletes in attendance must have athletic eligibility and be participating in an NCAA-sponsored sport during the 2025-26 academic year.
• Student-athlete participants must represent different NCAA-sponsored sports (i.e. if you submit a male basketball student-athlete, you are unable to submit a female basketball student-athlete).
• Student-athletes can attend without a coach or administrator. Those who attend are expected to fully participate in all program sessions and play an integral role in the learner experience.

View the full eligibility criteria

Cost

Attendance at the forum is at no cost to the participants, institutions or conference offices – the NCAA pays for airfare or mileage, shuttle transportation, lodging and meals; however, rental car fees are not reimbursed.

• Learners located within approximately 400 miles of the Leadership Forum site (Dallas, TX) are required to travel via ground transportation unless the national office grants an exception. However, the NCAA will reimburse the institution for mileage at $0.70 per mile. Air transportation will be provided for learners traveling more than 400 miles to the Leadership Forum site.
• Learners more than 400 miles from the Leadership Forum site must schedule flight arrangements through the NCAA national office. Flight expenses are billed directly to the NCAA.