ACC Announces 2026-27 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced its 2026-27 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board, putting a new group of student-athlete leaders at the center of conversations surrounding governance, legislation, sportsmanship and the collegiate experience across the conference.
Georgia Tech men’s swimming and diving student-athlete Henry Gibbs will serve as the committee’s chair, while Syracuse men’s cross country and track and field student-athlete Ruben Rojas Betanzos has been selected as vice chair.
The new leadership group will represent the perspectives and priorities of more than 12,200 student-athletes across the ACC’s 18 member institutions.
Student-Athletes Take Larger Role in ACC Governance
Gibbs and Rojas Betanzos will be joined by SMU women’s soccer student-athlete Aubrey Brown, who will represent the ACC on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Stanford women’s gymnastics student-athlete Temple Landry will serve as the ACC’s alternate NCAA Division I SAAC representative, while Pitt women’s track and field student-athlete Hailey Kravetz will serve as communications chair.
The committee also will maintain student-athlete representation across four ACC standing committees.
Those appointments include:
Media Committee: Henry Gibbs, Georgia Tech
Legislation Committee: Ella Brooks, Clemson
Infractions & Sportsmanship Review Committee: Aubrey Nisbet, Wake Forest
Nominating Committee: Mackenzie Smith, NC State
The structure gives student-athletes a direct avenue to participate in conversations that can influence conference policy, governance and the overall direction of ACC athletics.
“At both the institutional and conference levels, ACC SAAC is a trusted partner in shaping policy and priorities,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. “Their voices ensure our decisions reflect the needs, ambitions and values of the more than 12,200 student-athletes who define the ACC.”
Leadership Selected by Student-Athletes
Each of the ACC’s 18 member institutions nominates student-athlete representatives to SAAC. Members of the Executive Board are then selected through a conference-wide vote of their fellow student-athletes.
Beyond policy and governance, ACC SAAC serves as a connection between student-athletes and conference leadership while supporting community engagement, sportsmanship initiatives and efforts designed to strengthen the culture of ACC athletics.
The committee also provides feedback on ACC and NCAA matters, giving student-athletes an opportunity to contribute directly to discussions affecting their collegiate careers.
Meet the 2026-27 ACC SAAC Representatives
The 2026-27 representatives span a wide range of sports across the conference, reflecting the diversity of the ACC's student-athlete population.
Boston College
Bryce Copeland — Men’s Soccer
Audrey Ross — Volleyball
California
Elizabeth Edmonston — Field Hockey
Nate Escalada — Football
Clemson
Ella Brooks — Women’s Track & Field
Ive Schulze — Women’s Golf
Duke
Cameron Christie — Women’s Lacrosse
Nathan Gaviser — Men’s Soccer
Florida State
Duce Robinson — Football
Carra Sassack — Beach Volleyball
Georgia Tech
Makayla Coffield — Softball
Henry Gibbs — Men’s Swimming & Diving
Louisville
Cecilia Kern — Rowing
Ava Venturelli — Softball
Miami
Emma Gullstrand — Women’s Swimming & Diving
Tyson Schiele — Men’s Track & Field
North Carolina
Chelsea Thorpe — Volleyball
Katie Vu — Women’s Golf
NC State
Isaiah Shirley — Football
Mackenzie Smith — Women’s Soccer
Notre Dame
Olivia Levitt — Softball
Leah Macy — Women’s Basketball
Pitt
Lola Abraham — Women’s Soccer
Hailey Kravetz — Women’s Track & Field
SMU
Aubrey Brown — Women’s Soccer
Landon Hickam — Men’s Soccer
Stanford
Gabriel Ajaegbu — Men’s Track & Field
Temple Landry — Women’s Gymnastics
Syracuse
Ruben Rojas Betanzos — Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field
Mara McBride — Rowing
Virginia
Noah Dyer — Men’s Swimming & Diving
Elijah Slibeck — Football
Virginia Tech
Jane Brewer — Women’s Lacrosse
Dylan DeCambre — Men’s Track & Field
Wake Forest
Aubrey Nisbet — Women’s Tennis
Vincent Ricchiuti — Men’s Basketball
A Voice for the ACC's Next Generation
The selection of the 2026-27 SAAC Executive Board comes as the ACC continues to place greater emphasis on student-athlete involvement in conference decision-making.
With representatives from every member institution and athletes competing across nearly every corner of collegiate athletics, the committee provides the ACC with a broad perspective on the issues most important to its student-athletes.
For Gibbs, Rojas Betanzos, Brown and the rest of the Executive Board, the upcoming academic year will bring an opportunity to turn that representation into action — while giving more than 12,200 ACC student-athletes a stronger voice in the conference they represent.