Jackson Selected to ACC Autonomy Committee
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today three student-athlete representatives from its member institutions who will hold voting power on proposed NCAA rule changes under the Division I autonomy process, and for the second straight year, University of Miami defensive lineman Demetrius Jackson was selected.
Jackson and NC State’s Harli Hubbard (softball) will participate as members of the ACC Autonomy Committee for the second year and will be joined by North Carolina’s Taylor Koenen (women’s basketball). The trio will be invited to attend various ACC governance meetings and participate as members of the voting delegation at the 2018 NCAA Convention.
“Having Harli, Demetrius and Taylor participate in the governance process and represent their peers is extremely helpful as we continue to focus on the student-athlete experience,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We look forward to having them around the table throughout this important process.”
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.
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.
A senior from Camas, Washington, Hubbard is currently the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at NC State and is a member of the ACC’s SAAC. Overcoming injuries that sidelined her for most of her freshman season, she has made a total of 58 appearances in the circle for the Wolfpack, including eight in the starting spot. As a sophomore she broke the program record for saves in a single season with four, eclipsing the previous mark by two. She has twice earned selection to the ACC’s Academic Honor Roll and is a Dean’s List student. Hubbard’s community activities include Habitat for Humanity and the “Be the Match” program.
“I’m incredibly honored to have been re-elected and to be able to have the opportunity to support other student athletes,” Hubbard said. “It’s going to be a unique position because I’m graduating in May, but I think I’ll be able to bring a different perspective to the table. This upcoming year will be very important with transfers and early recruiting and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Jackson is a four-year member of the Hurricanes football program. He has helped the Hurricanes to four straight bowl games and the 2017 Coastal Division title. Before his redshirt junior year was cut short by an injury last fall, the Miami native saw action in seven games, finishing with 18 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He added one interception and two pass breakups. Off the field, Jackson has been 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.
“It is very important to me to be able to represent the University of Miami and its student athletes along with representing the other student-athletes in the ACC,” Jackson said. “It’s an honor to be selected for another term to represent my fellow-student-athletes, and it means the world to serve in that role again.”
North Carolina’s Koenen is a member of her university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has participated in the Carolina Leadership Academy. The sophomore from Savage, Minnesota, has also participated in the Carolina Pen Pal Program, where she wrote to and connected with students from disadvantage backgrounds. Koenen has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and earned a spot on the ACC Honor Roll. On the court, Koenen has started all 23 games for the Tar Heels this season. She ranks second on the team in rebounding, third on the team in both minutes played and assists, and fourth in scoring at 9.2 points per game.
“It’s truly an honor to have the opportunity to represent my fellow student-athletes at UNC, and across the ACC, in such an important capacity,” Koenen said. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to positively impact the collegiate experience of so many.”
The three are the fourth group of student-athletes chosen to represent the ACC in the NCAA Autonomy process. Jackson and Hubbard joined Duke’s Madison Granger (track and field/cross country) last year. Clemson’s Patrick Andrews (baseball), Notre Dame’s Kaila Barber (track and field) and Pitt’s Artie Rowell (football) served the inaugural terms in 2015. Duke’s Granger, Florida State’s Wilson Bell (football) and Virginia Tech’s Brandon Fiala (swimming and diving) were the representatives in the second year.
