Jackson to Represent ACC on NCAA Autonomy Committee
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Redshirt junior defensive lineman Demetrius Jackson from the University of Miami football team has been selected as one of three Atlantic Coast Conference student-athletes that will hold voting power on proposed NCAA rule changes under the Division I autonomy process.Jackson will join Duke’s Madison Granger (track and field/cross country) and NC State’s Harli Hubbard (softball) as members of the ACC Autonomy Committee. The three ACC student-athletes will be invited to attend various ACC governance meetings and participate as members of the voting delegation at the 2018 NCAA Convention.
“To be selected as one of three student-athletes in the ACC to participate as an NCAA autonomy representative is truly a fantastic honor,” Jackson said. “I look forward to sharing the voice of other student-athletes throughout the ACC, while enhancing their overall collegiate experience. I look forward to the work ahead with my fellow ACC representatives.”
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted in August of 2014 to restructure how schools and conferences govern themselves, paving the way for student-athletes to have a voice – and a vote – at every level of decision-making. A council, established as part of that process, is responsible for day-to-day operations of the division and includes two seats for student-athletes, two for faculty and four for commissioners.
“Student-athletes are at the core of the ACC’s mission, and the value of having them take part in the governance process is immeasurable,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We look forward to Madison, Harli and Demetrius bringing their leadership, experience and the voice of their peers to our meetings.”
The new model also granted flexibility to schools in the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences to change rules for themselves in a list of specific areas within Division I. The legislative process for these 65 schools includes the three student-athlete representatives from each conference who vote on rule changes.
Jackson is a three-year member of the Hurricanes football program. During his three seasons in Coral Gables, Jackson has helped the Hurricanes to three straight bowl games, has seen action in 17 contests and has made six starts. This past season, Jackson posted single-season career highs in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks as he helped Miami rank 12th in the nation in scoring defense. Off the field, Jackson is a role model throughout the Miami community.
Despite his busy schedule, the Miami native has logged more community service hours than any other Hurricane student-athlete. This past fall, Jackson was awarded the ACC Top Six Award for Service and was selected as the Miami Football Team’s Community Service Man of the Year. Jackson also has excelled in the classroom at Miami and has encouraged others to follow his lead, as he participates in 5,000 Role Models, a non-profit group in Miami, which serves as an in-school dropout prevention program.
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