National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Feb 1, 2010 8:48:29 AM

Nick Fulton, a former swimmer at Wisconsin, became chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on January 16. Fulton, who graduated from Wisconsin with a degree in political science and economics in May 2009, is interning in the athletics department at his alma mater and plans to pursue a career in athletics administration. An accomplished swimmer, Fulton qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter backstroke. He shared with his thoughts on the direction of the Division I SAAC and his own personal goals The NCAA News.

NCAA News: What are the priorities for the Division I SAAC for the next year?

Nick Fulton: In the past, we have focused mainly on developing feedback for proposed legislation, but this year we are being encouraged by the cabinets to provide our thoughts even before legislation is developed.  We want to take advantage of these opportunities while continuing to gather feedback on the hot-button issues. We will work to continue to improve both the quantity and the quality of communication directly to campuses.   

NCAA News: How will you work to advance your agenda?

Fulton: Within the "new" governance structure it has become increasingly clear how important the cabinets have become as far as developing the direction of the NCAA. The SAAC is in a great position to help, with members serving on each cabinet. We have focused our time on making sure that our representatives at cabinet meetings are prepared to speak on behalf of the committee, and in turn all student-athletes. Much of our time at the NCAA Convention was spent discussing the issues that are going to be so important this year.

NCAA News: How does SAAC formulate its positions on issues?

Fulton: The SAAC relies heavily on the campus and conference SAAC structure to develop opinions on issues. Each SAAC member receives feedback at his or her conference SAAC meetings from each of the institutions in the conference. Then, each Division I SAAC member brings that feedback to our meetings. In addition, if there is a particularly important issue that needs feedback from a specific demographic – like men's basketball – we seek opinions from those specific student-athletes. Finally, we ask administrators on our own campuses and within our conferences to shed light on how certain changes might affect other aspects of the student-athlete experience. 

NCAA News: How does SAAC view its position on the various committees, cabinets and councils in the governance structure?

Fulton: The SAAC values this opportunity to participate actively in the governance structure. We realize that this is where much of the work gets done regarding legislative change. To have a voice in the room when those issues are debated is very important to our committee. 

NCAA News: Why did you want to be chair?

Fulton: I felt I would be able to commit the time and effort it takes to lead this committee. I also believed that my experiences and abilities would allow me to represent this committee well and hopefully build upon the strong foundation that we have been so lucky to have. I was fortunate enough for the other members of the committee to put their trust in me. Most impressive to me, however, is the fact that, if need be, any one of our 31 members would be a more than capable chair.

NCAA News: What is the value of the national SAAC – to the Association, to the 160,000 Division I student-athletes you represent and to you personally?

Fulton: At the end of the day, the Association exists because of the student-athletes. As a committee, we often speak about the fact that the national SAAC is in as good a position as it ever has been to represent the 160,000 Division I student-athletes. It means that we have influential input on the big decisions that will end up affecting us as student-athletes.

On a personal level, national SAAC has been invaluable to me. The relationships I have been so fortunate to build during my term will last a lifetime, while the experiences will be of great benefit as I hopefully transition into a career in collegiate athletics in the next couple of years.    

NCAA News: How did you choose to be a swimming student-athlete?

Fulton: As soon as I realized that I might be fortunate enough to swim at the collegiate level, I knew that I could not pass up the opportunity. I also knew that because I had invested so much, I wanted to take my swimming as far as I could.

NCAA News:  How did your career as a student-athlete shape who you are today?

Fulton: Coming into the University of Wisconsin, I had ambitions of being involved in national politics. As soon as I began to interact with other student-athletes and then got involved on my campus, in my conference and eventually on a national level, my perspective completely changed.  Aside from altering my plans after college, it really molded who I am as a person. The hard work and dedication it took both in the pool as well as in the classroom has made me in to the person I am today.

NCAA News: What are your career aspirations now?

Fulton: I definitely hope to have a career in collegiate athletics. I would love to be an administrator at the campus level because of the direct positive impact I could have on student-athletes. My time on SAAC has allowed me some of the best "on-the-job" training anyone could ask for. I really hope to be able to transfer that experience into my career.

NCAA News: What do you love about intercollegiate athletics?

Fulton: First and foremost, I love the people – of course my fellow student-athletes but also the coaches, administrators, academic support staff and others. As a student-athlete, to have so many people working to ensure that you have a positive collegiate experience on the field and in the classroom is such a wonderful thing.

I also love what the intercollegiate experience does for student-athletes. Aside from providing the opportunity to receive a college degree, the experiences instill an appreciation for hard work and dedication that would be impossible to get anywhere else.