By Taylor Cotie

Every year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) holds its National Convention, inviting student-athletes, athletic directors and faculty to represent their institutions and engage in discussions surrounding college athletics. This year, Greensboro College student-athletes Logan Vacharasin and myself attended the 2026 NCAA National Convention in Washington, D.C. Vacharasin, a junior baseball representative, is the secretary of GC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). I am a senior and the volleyball representative for GC and am also the president of SAAC. 

During the four-day event, Cotie and Vacharasin participated in professional development sessions, NCAA forums and leadership workshops. They also had the opportunity to participate in a Division III Special Olympics activity, where they played sports and danced with the Special Olympics athletes. Division III celebrated its 15-year anniversary of partnering with Special Olympics. Most importantly, Cotie and Vacharasin had the opportunity to represent Greensboro College by providing input on proposed 2026 NCAA legislation. 

This year marked a significant legislative session for the NCAA Division III. While only six legislative proposals were voted on at last year’s convention, 17 proposals were voted on this year. Among the most important proposals approved was the establishment of a Division III women’s wrestling championship beginning next year. Delegates also passed a proposal requiring the use of the NCAA Transfer Portal for Division III athletes transferring from a four-year institution. In addition, Division III supported the growth of women’s athletics by adding women’s flag football as an emerging sport. 

In addition to Vacharasin and myself, Mallory Zelawski, GC’s women’s lacrosse head coach and SAAC liaison, and Randy Doss, vice president of enrollment and athletics, also represented Greensboro College at the NCAA convention. 

We also attended the NCAA State of College Sports and Honors, where major awards such as the Theodore Roosevelt Award, NCAA Woman of the Year, Silver Anniversary and the NCAA Impact Award were presented to both current and former college athletes. 

The Collegian had the opportunity to speak with both Logan Vacharasin and Randy Doss about their experiences at the NCAA National Convention. Vacharasin described the convention as an experience he will always remember. 

“Not only was the information that I gained valuable, but so were the people I met. The conversations I had at the convention were not just your typical small talk – we discussed topics we all cared deeply about, including the mental health session, Division III legislation and our own personal stories,” Vacharasin said. 

From a non-student-athlete perspective, Randy Doss described his experience at the convention as “extremely positive.” 

“I enjoyed meeting individuals from similar and different institutions. Overwhelmingly, we are working with many of the same issues,” Doss said. 

One of the SAAC professional development sessions focused on mental health and well-being in student-athletes and was led by former athlete and mental health advocate Ivy Watts. During the session, Watts addressed the mental health struggles that college athletes face and discussed strategies for overcoming them. Vacharasin shared that the session was the most valuable part of the convention for him. “Getting to hear some of the fellow Division III athletes’ stories and how they overcame their personal challenges was impactful. Almost all of the challenges mentioned are not visible from the outside. It was nice to see people talk about something that is not always as easy to bring up, especially within the field of athletics.” 

Doss also reflected on what discussions he felt were most impactful at the convention. He said one powerful insight happened during the legislative meeting on the last day of the conference. “One individual said something to the effect of ‘Division III is what college athletics used to be. It is the purest form of college athletics.’ That comment really resonated with me – it made me think about how we support Division III athletes who care about their academics, have outside interests and needs and balance so much in their lives to continue playing a sport they love,” Doss said. 

Vacharasin and I had the opportunity to take everything we learned at the convention and share it with Greensboro College. Vacharasin reflected on how he planned to bring what he learned back to campus. 

“At our most recent SAAC meeting, I shared the changes in legislation for Division III and discussed how they might impact our school and student-athletes. Talking with other SAAC leaders from our conference and across Division III, I learned about the different ways schools operate their SAACs. We had many productive conversations about events we host at our respective school, such as the Special Olympics and other campus-wide initiatives. Challenges that we faced was another topic brought up, as many schools faced similar issues, including meeting attendance and the planning and execution of events. Being able to discuss solutions was very insightful and I hope to apply them in the near future,” Vacharasin said. 

Doss shared a similar perspective from an administrative standpoint. 

“The USA South Conference meeting reminded me that like institutions have like challenges and opportunities. These range from new opportunities to stream our contests, adding new sports or generally learning from each other,” Doss responded. 

As for myself, I am thankful I had the privilege to attend the 2026 NCAA National Convention. Having been a member of GC’s SAAC for three years, I am especially grateful that I had the opportunity to represent Greensboro College during my last year. I met so many other student-athletes who share the same passion for college athletics as I do. We had the chance to work with the Special Olympics, attend professional sessions on topics on student-athlete well-being, and, most importantly, provide our input on the 2026 NCAA legislation.