Being a student and a Division I athlete at Penn State is a major commitment and leaves little free time.

With the recent nationwide expansion of four schools to the Big Ten, things like study time and travel have become a much bigger burden for Penn State’s student-athletes.

That’s where the Student-Athlete Advisory Board comes in.

On a broader level, the NCAA has a committee for each division. Created in 1989, the committee was designed to welcome student-athletes to the table for NCAA regulations and rules while enhancing the overall student-athlete experience.

Like Congress, student-athletes have a vote through a representative, and the national organization has different subcommittees focused on specific representation goals.

Penn State’s student-athletes have been making their voices heard since 1987 with the creation of the board. The board was launched to unify athletes across all sports, provide a platform for student-athletes to voice their opinions, organize events, contribute to the State College community, and advocate for representation in the university’s intercollegiate athletics.

The group consists of an executive board — president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and chief of staff — and several other committees, including the Nittany Awards committee, DEI board, Communications board, and the Special Events committee.

To ensure all student-athletes feel represented, many, including Michela Barbanente, a co-representative for the softball team, refer to the organization as “800 strong,” a reminder of the over 800 athletes it represents.

“It’s basically a way for student-athletes to get involved in athletics and campus life beyond their sport,” Barbanente said. “And there’s a multitude of different opportunities for the athletes to help out. For example, if you are an accounting major you can be the treasurer, or if you are a communications person you can be in the comm committee — just great things like that.”

One of the the board’s recent initiative was PAC partners, in which each team is paired with one or two other teams.

“Our softball partners are men’s fencing and women’s volleyball, and there’s one game per season where we all go and support them,” Barbanente said.

Barbanente also spoke about the contributions student-athletes make to the community through the board.

“We do a lot of great things for the community, like working with THON to raise money and perform team dances, [and] we work with organizations like Morgan’s Message, which works with student-athletes and their mental health,” she said.

The Penn State SAAC meets one Monday night every month, and two representatives for each team are required. However, all student-athletes are encouraged to attend and participate.