NCAA D1 Council Approves Day Off for Civic Engagement

On the first Tuesday following Nov. 1 every year, Division I student-athletes will not practice, compete or engage in any countable athletically related activities.

This legislation was proposed by the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as a way to provide student-athletes with one day to participate in civic engagement such as voting or community service. The Division I Council approved this change at its meeting Wednesday.

“The Council unanimously supports this important piece of legislation. Coming from Division I SAAC, we know it represents the voice of student-athletes across the country who continue to express a desire to increase their civic engagement at local, state and federal levels,” Council chair M. Grace Calhoun said in a release. “We look forward to seeing student-athletes use this opportunity as a way to create positive change.”

The Division I SAAC is comprised of representatives from all 32 Division I conferences.

“As Division I SAAC representatives and as student-athletes across the country, we are so excited to see this proposal become legislation,” Ethan Good, Division I SAAC chair said in a release. “By providing this day dedicated to civic engagement each year, we are making a clear distinction that our American student-athletes will always be citizens before they are athletes.”

This legislation will go in effect immediately and will include the first Tuesday following Nov. 1 this year, Nov. 3, Election Day.

“The student-athlete voice continues to grow louder and louder every year, and we can see that through this action,” Good, a former basketball player at Bowling Green said. “I am excited to see what will come of this in the current year and for years to come.”