Belonging means creating a community that embraces and values all its members and their backgrounds. For student-athletes, belonging shows up in the connections made with teammates, the support of coaches and mentors, and the impact they have on their communities. This campaign celebrates those authentic voices and experiences, inviting student-athletes to share what belonging and community mean to them.

The campaign was created in collaboration with the office of inclusion and the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees.

Campaign Details

Day One: Wednesday, November 5 - "Belonging"

Strong connections build strong teams. Share how a teammate makes you feel like you belong. Tag them to recognize their impact.

• Download the Day One: Belonging Template to add your logo and share.

Day Two: Thursday, November 6 - "My Impact. My Community."

Share how you have impacted your athletic community and recognize the people (coaches, administrators, trainers, family members, teammates, friends) who support your efforts.

• Download the Day Two: My Impact. My Community Template to add your logo and share.

Preparing for the Campaign

Before the Nov. 5–6, 2025 campaign, student-athletes, athletics departments and conference offices planning to participate should prepare by establishing clear communication and considering the following steps:

• Coordinate with campus leaders - Connect with your athletics department’s communications director, athletics director, senior woman administrator, and/or the administrator supporting belonging and well-being efforts.
• Engage your SAAC leadership - Encourage the campus SAAC president to notify the sports information director (SID) about the campaign. This ensures the SID can prepare content, monitor student-athlete posts, and amplify them on official school channels.
• Loop in media relations - Involving your campus media relations office helps boost social media engagement and improve the quality of campaign coverage.
• Inform teammates - Ask SAAC representatives to share campaign dates, themes, and ways to participate with their teams.
• Maximize social media reach - Use multiple platforms to broaden the campaign's audience and increase engagement.

After the Campaign

Keep the momentum going and continue the conversation by trying some of these suggestions:

• Create a feedback loop - Form a SAAC committee to gather input from student-athletes on how they’d like to be more involved.
• Connect with peers - Attend NCAA programming to engage with student-athletes from other schools.
• Give back together - Organize a community service project with your team or other athletes in your institution or conference, then reflect on the impact.
• Talk as a team - Use a team meeting to share what belonging means to student-athletes and coaches, and brainstorm ways to strengthen it within your program.
• Keep learning - Complete the Cultures of Belonging educational module (5–7 minutes) on the NCAA Learning Portal.
• Seek inspiration - Watch a TED Talk or listen to a podcast on belonging.
• Dive deeper - Read Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown.