ORLANDO, Fla. — The Power 5 conferences unanimously passed legislation on Thursday at the NCAA convention requiring their schools to make mental-health services and resources available for student-athletes.
The legislation is meant to further strengthen mental-health services already provided on campus. As part of it, schools will distribute mental-health education information and resources to student-athletes, coaches, administrators and other athletics personnel.
Washington State athletic director Pat Chun spoke during the open comments portion during the Division I Autonomy Forum and Business Session, pointing out the legislation’s importance for the health and well-being of student-athletes. Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski committed suicide in 2018, and the school has added to the services it already provided student-athletes.
Chun pointed out that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among those in the college age group. When the time to vote came from each school in the ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and 15 student-athlete representatives, the legislation passed 80-0.
“It’s powerful it was passed in unanimous fashion,” Chun said. “Stuff like this is a no-brainer for college athletics. We do a lot for our student-athletes, so I think it’s time we do something in terms of the mental health. Most, if not all schools in the Power 5 are doing something, but the worst-case scenario is dealing with a tragedy that no school or family wants.”
Last January, the Pac-12 created a mental-health task force, a group of doctors and mental-health experts from league schools to share resources and best practices. For Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, it made complete sense to sponsor the legislation.
“One of the greatest changes I’ve seen in my time as commissioner is concern over mental health,” Scott said. “As I travel around our conference and meet with our student-athletes, this is among the top issues they want to talk to me about, and many of our schools have been real thought leaders in this area. It’s been an emerging priority so the fact this passed unanimously signals the fact that nationally this has risen to the top among the areas that universities want to address.”
ACC commissioner John Swofford said the increasing awareness surrounding mental-health needs for student-athletes spurred the conference to hold its first mental-health summit this spring. Each member school will gather in Durham, N.C., to hear best practices from experts, as well as current and former student-athletes who have had their own mental-health struggles.
“Going back decades, we started with academic counseling, then addressed the physical part of it, then the nutrition part of it. We probably should have started with the mental health,” Swofford said.
Though schools already offer mental-health services, the hope is that the legislation serves to further destigmatize mental health and asking for help.
“This is meant to be a minimum, not a maximum,” Scott said. “We want to elevate this issue on a bunch of different levels.”
In addition, the five conferences passed legislation that allows student-athletes to receive room and board expenses to participate in summer athletic activities while not enrolled in summer school.