About The MEAC | 10/2/2025 7:07:53 AM

NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 2, 2025 — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held its annual meeting September 26-28 at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort. 

Student-athletes from MEAC institutions gathered for professional development, leadership training, and discussions on campus involvement, community outreach, preparing for life beyond athletics, and exploring career and financial opportunities. The meeting offered participants the chance to connect with peers, engage with MEAC staff and interns, and gain insights from industry professionals on maximizing their student-athlete experience on and off the field. 

The weekend opened with a welcome from Deputy Commissioner Raynoid Dedeaux, who emphasized the vital role of student-athletes as leaders and outlined key areas of focus for the conference. The opening was followed by a meet-and-greet lunch and a session with Joe Carney of Coca-Cola/ZIYNX, who shared his journey in the sports industry and introduced a student-athlete marketing platform to navigate NIL opportunities. 

The day concluded with a glow-in-the-dark team-building experience at The Adventure Park, where athletes participated in climbing, ropes courses, and ziplining while building connections with peers from MEAC institutions. 

Day two included networking with MEAC interns over breakfast and career preparation sessions with Daniel Shannon of Wells Fargo on financial literacy and Mindy Sopher on transferable leadership skills, including a DISC assessment athletes completed to help student-athletes better understand their leadership styles. Later, SAAC representatives received departmental and NCAA compliance updates, and the evening concluded with a community service activity at Bay Pointe Rehabilitation and Nursing Facility, where student-athletes hosted bingo and presented MEAC-branded prizes. 

The final day focused on the committee’s institutional campaign activation, highlighting literacy and the MEAC’s 55th-year celebration. Participants collaborated on strategies to promote literacy and concluded the weekend with a MEAC promotional photo and video shoot for institutional and conference initiatives. 

The 2025 SAAC meeting ended with a networking lunch, allowing student-athletes to connect with peers and MEAC staff before returning to their campuses to continue serving as leaders. 

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