BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The NSIC in conjunction with Augustana University and other regional student-athletes and administrators will hold a Congressional Engagement Listening Session at the Elmen Center on the campus of Augustana University on Tuesday, August 22 at 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public to attend. It will also be aired regionally on Midco Sports and streamed live and free on the NSIC Network.
U.S. Senator John Thune and NCAA President Charlie Baker will hold discussions with panelists that include regional student-athletes and administrators. The conversation will focus on the principles of amateurism and maintaining the collegial relationship between student-athletes and institutions. The session will begin with welcoming statements from Commissioner Lind and President Herseth Sandlin, followed by two groups of panelists.
Student-athlete panelists will include Davaris Cheeks of Concordia University, St. Paul, the Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative; Grace Hadlich of The College of St. Scholastica, a Division III National SAAC representative; Erika Bute of Augustana University, a SAAC representative; Muthu Meenakshisundaram of the University of Minnesota Morris, a Division III National SAAC member; and Jack Cartwright of the University of Sioux Falls, a SAAC representative for the Cougars.
"The Congressional Engagement Listening Session presents a tremendous opportunity for a meaningful discussion about how collegiate sports are evolving and the actions necessary to ensure that our student-athletes can continue to thrive in competition, succeed in the classroom and have a positive impact within our campus and local communities," stated Erin Lind, Commissioner of the NSIC.
"We look forward to hosting all participants on the campus of Augustana University and are especially grateful that U.S. Senator John Thune and NCAA President Charlie Baker will join us. They are sure to leave with valuable insights from both student-athletes and administrators which will inform their leadership in advancing reforms and changes to public policy," stated Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Augustana University President.
Athletic administrators joining the session include Minot State University President Dr. Steven Shirley; Augustana University Director of Athletics Josh Morton; Southwest Minnesota State University Director of Athletics Jennifer Flowers and Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton.
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men's league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women's league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 110 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.
