Hofstra Women’s Basketball student-athlete Sydni Epps will serve as the Colonial Athletic Association’s (CAA) representative on the NCAA Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), it was announced recently.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get started,” Epps said. “It’s a lot of responsibility but I’m ready for the challenge and will work hard to help improve the student welfare. Everyone, from my head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey to Mr. Hathaway, has been very supportive. It’s my hope to observe and take in all the ideas from the different conferences and bring the information back to the CAA SAAC to help improve the student-athlete experience.”
Epps, who will be entering her junior season in 2014-15, is one of only 32 student-athletes across the country selected to serve on the national SAAC, which is part of the NCAA’s governing structure. She will serve a two-year term in representing all of the CAA’s student-athletes as a liaison to the NCAA and its membership, which includes more than 160,000 Division I student-athletes across all sports.
In addition to relaying information across campuses and conferences, the NCAA SAAC speaks on the behalf of the entire Division I student-athlete body throughout the NCAA governance structure.
“Hofstra is honored and extremely proud of Sydni for being chosen to represent the CAA student-athletes as part of the NCAA SAAC Committee,” commented Hofstra Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway. “Sydni is a wonderful representative of our women’s basketball program and the entire student-athlete population here at Hofstra. I’m sure she will do an tremendous job representing the student-athletes of the CAA and student-athletes across all of Division I. The voice of the student-athlete is important to the NCAA membership and is very much needed during this time where the governance structure is seeking more student-athlete input. Sydni will be an excellent advocate for all of the constituents she will represent. Congratulations on this outstanding appointment.”
“We are excited that Sydni has been appointed to the NCAA SAAC representing the CAA,” stated CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager. “In this time of increased emphasis on issues affecting our student-athletes, Sydni will be a great advocate for the 5,000 students who compete in the CAA.”
Epps’ year-round duties include attending and participating in National SAAC meetings and conference calls and reporting back those positions to the CAA SAAC during its annual leadership summit on Nov. 9-10 on James Madison’s campus.
A native of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, Epps has played in 55 games in her first two seasons with the Pride. Off the court, she has served on Hofstra’s SAAC since her freshman year and last month was elected to the leadership board as a Pride Cup Coordinator.
“We’re so proud of Sydni for earning such a prestigious appointment,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “It’s a high honor for her and for the women’s basketball program. She has a dynamic personality and will do a great job in representing the CAA and working as an advocate for her fellow student-athletes.”
The aim of the NCAA SAAC is to provide opportunity for and protect the well-being and promote a positive image of student-athletes. National SAAC members provide input on the overall student-athlete experience while also offering feedback on the rules, regulations and policies that affect the lives of student-athletes.