GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – SUNY Institute of Technology Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member Connor Passalacqua (Whitestown, N.Y.) received a big promotion this past week, as he was elected to serve as the National NCAA Division III SAAC representative for both the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) and partner conference North Atlantic Conference (NAC). 

Passalacqua, who will enter his sophomore year this fall, was selected by the NCAA out of three worthy nominations submitted by the NEAC.  He will now represent both conferences at the national level while serving as a liaison between each conference's SAAC group and the NCAA.  His term will begin immediately and run through May 1, 2016, during which time he will attend both the NCAA Convention in January and the NCAA SAAC meeting in July each year.  Additionally, Passalacqua will partake in all of the NCAA SAAC conference calls during his tenure as well. 

"We are very excited that the NEAC will have Connor representing us and the NAC for the next three years," said NEAC Commissioner Candice Murray.  "Since the NEAC was represented by a NAC student-athlete the previous three years, we have been eagerly awaiting our turn to serve in this capacity and feel that we will have a closer connection to the National SAAC with our own representative.  We are looking forward to having Connor grow and experience collegiate athletics from the national governance perspective, and we wish him well on this new exciting journey as the NEAC representative to the National SAAC!"

Passalacqua served as SUNYIT's SAAC liaison to the conference and helped the institution organize numerous SAAC-sponsored events throughout the year, such as a campus-wide intramural volleyball tournament and a Wildcat Field Day.  He also shined in athletics during his freshman year, starting 32 of 35 games for the Wildcat baseball team while finishing with a .296 batting average on the season. 

The NCAA Division III SAAC strives to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete well-being; and fostering a positive student-athlete image, while maintaining the tenants of the Division III philosophy.

To learn more about the NCAA Division III SAAC, please click here.  For more on the NEAC SAAC, please visit here.