2. Past speakers at the Leadership Conference have included Jesse Jackson, president of the Rainbow Coalition and former football student-athlete; Robin Roberts, broadcaster for ESPN and ABC Sports and a former basketball and track student-athlete; Pablo Morales, coach at San Jose State and former Stanford University swimmer and Olympian; Tom Curley, president and publisher of USA Today; Reggie Williams, vice-president at Disney's Wide World of Sports and former professional football player; and Diana Nyad, broadcaster for FOX Sports and a former swimming student-athlete.

3. The first Leadership Conference was held at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex. Since 1998, the Leadership Conference has been held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center. The Convention Center provides a facility for the student-athletes to meet both in large groups and in small color teams to facilitate in-depth discussions.

4. The first Leadership Conference lasted only two full days, and the small-group facilitators were professional facilitators provided by Disney and not affiliated with intercollegiate athletics. This year's Leadership Conference was four and one-half days, and most of the facilitators were CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from NCAA member institutions. The facilitators are provided with specialized training for the conference, including a three-day trip to Indianapolis where they receive instruction from Lynne Kaplan, a professional who has coordinated the facilitators since the first Leadership Conference.

5. The tradition of signing the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference banner was initiated at the first conference back in 1997 when a student-athlete suggested the idea. Now it's a tradition for conference participants to sign the banner at the conclusion of the conference, affirming their commitment to implementing what they've learned.