Mike Rogers, the faculty athletics representative at Baylor, is a former student-athlete, the son of a coach and the grandson of a former student-athlete.

Such familiarity with college sports has given Rogers a unique perspective that should serve him well as chair of the new Division I Amateurism Cabinet.

Rogers said his knowledge of the intercollegiate athletics enterprise has helped him slide more easily into student-athletes’ shoes, a skill he plans to use liberally as he leads the cabinet’s inaugural efforts.

“When I evaluate legislation, I think about what effect it will have on the student-athletes’ schedules, their ability to compete and to go to class because we put a lot of demands on our student-athletes,” Rogers said. “Student-athletes don’t have plates, they have platters and they are full.”

The Amateurism Cabinet’s plate will be full, too. That group, along with the Academics and Administration Cabinets, replaces the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet. It will be responsible for all pre- and post-enrollment amateurism issues, including those related to the NCAA Eligibility Center, student-athlete likeness, and the relationship between college and professional athletes.

As the cabinet’s inaugural meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Indianapolis, members will address the increasing numbers of international student-athletes and student-athlete likeness issues. Rogers also believes matters involving agents and international professional teams will command attention.

A self-described consensus-builder who is committed to student-athlete well-being, Rogers is well prepared to tackle the issues. Far from a newcomer, he has been Baylor’s faculty athletics representative since 2001. He also chaired the AEC’s agents and amateurism subcommittee and serves as chair of the university’s infractions investigation committee and of Baylor’s pro sports counseling panel.

Rogers said one of his goals for the cabinet is to take a tighter approach to its work. “On the AEC, even though everyone serves on a subcommittee, to a certain extent you’re a general practitioner,” he said. “That cabinet had an incredibly broad focus, and at times we were just looking at the trees and not the forest. Having this more focused cabinet, we can become specialists and we can render higher-quality service to the membership.”