What is the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)?
SAAC is a committee that aims to represent the student athlete population to advocate each team’s needs, support each other both on and off the field, and bring all student-athletes together no matter what team we’re on. We provide a resource for our teammates and all of athletics to be able to better our student-athlete community.
How did you get involved in SAAC?
I got involved in SAAC my sophomore year when two of my teammates were in it and advocated for how much they valued their experience because it was a way to make a difference in the student-athlete community, as well as serve as an opportunity to meet new people. Being on a relatively small team, this was definitely something that appealed to me and knew I would enjoy the opportunity to get involved.
What made you want to serve as SAAC vice president?
During my sophomore year, I joined the E-Board on our athlete unification committee, where I helped to plan fun events that brought all student-athletes together to help people make new connections and strengthen our community. This year, I wanted to serve as our vice president to help oversee the growth of that as well as assist our president to accomplish our goals over the next year.
What are some of those goals for SAAC in 2025-26?
Some of our goals for SAAC in 2025-26 would be to continue to be a resource for athletics in whatever way we can to share important information from NCAA or UCI athletics, plan engaging events to support each team and allow people to get together and meet each other, and serve as a resource to voice student-athlete ideas and enhance the UCI athletics experience as much as possible.
What is a specific initiative or event that you are most proud of that SAAC has accomplished during your time with the organization?
When I was a part of our athlete unification committee, we planned many fun events that brought many of our athletes together, including our ginger bread house competition and our tacos and tailgate event before a baseball game.
Thinking about the current landscape of college athletics, what are some of the biggest challenges facing student-athletes right now, and how do you think SAAC can help address them?
Thinking about the current landscape of college athletics, student-athletes are facing many new challenges such as NIL deals and the House v. NCAA settlement. SAAC can be a resource to help provide awareness about what is going on and the changes that are constantly being made around our student-athlete community. We can also help those who feel confused on the next steps for them in their collegiate career.
What advice would you give to fellow student-athletes in terms of balancing the demands of being an
NCAA Division I student-athlete and getting the most out of their experience?
I would say the most important piece of advice I can give is working on time management. No matter what sport it is, every athlete has a demanding schedule when it comes to balancing practice, weights, traveling, school work, and socializing. Having time management skills is so crucial so we can get everything we need to do in a timely manner and still have time for ourselves. I would also suggest student-athletes utilize our many resources to make managing all of our priorities easier. For example, we have trainers that want to help us train, recover, and eat right, accessible tutoring for those needing a little extra help academically, mental health resources, and much more. Taking advantage of the resources we have here will make the student-athlete experience much more manageable and enjoyable.
From your perspective, how has being part of SAAC impacted your experience as a student-athlete,
and what advice would you give to others who are considering joining?
From my perspective, being a part of SAAC has greatly impacted my experience as a student-athlete. As I mentioned before, my team is relatively small and I think being a part of SAAC has given me the opportunity to meet people from all different teams and I have developed many friendships because of meeting and working with people in SAAC. For those who are considering joining, I would highly recommend it because it is a great opportunity to get involved in the student-athlete community as well as meet people from different teams and build important connections.
If there is a student-athlete who wants to get involved, what is the best way for them to do that?
The best way for them to do that would be to come to our biweekly SAAC meetings to meet our current members of SAAC and see if there is an opportunity to join us!
2025-26 SAAC Executive Board
President - Haily Huynh (Women's Tennis)
Vice President - Kiana Briggs (Women's Golf)
Marketing Chair - Bella Pitchford (Women's Tennis)
Inclusive Excellence Chair - Faith McLeary (Women's Track & Field)
Athlete Unification Co-Chair - Isaac Powell (Men's Soccer)
Athlete Unification Co-Chair - Mirayah Villalpando (Women's Soccer)
