Thomson, Alli Named to Big 12 SAAC Leadership Positions

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech men's tennis standout Bjorn Thomson was recently re-elected as chairperson of the Big 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), while track and field athlete Zuliat Alli was selected as the at-large representative.

The duo was named to their respective positions during the Big 12 SAAC meetings held at the conference office in Irving, which were attended by student-athletes from all 10 schools. The meetings also focused on legislative involvement at the NCAA Autonomy level, diversity and inclusion initiatives and career development.

"Student-athletes have a voice and it is important we use it," Ali said. "I enjoyed the experience. It was interesting to see the planning and effort that is put in to the proposals and legislation. There are so many ways to be active as part of SAAC."

With their election, Tech is now represented in three of the six positions in the Big 12 SAAC cabinet as Travis Bruffy remains a member of the leadership group as the NCAA autonomy governance representative.

Bruffy, the president of the Tech SAAC organization, attended the meetings alongside Ali and his teammate on the defensive side of the ball, Patrick Curley. Alli joins Bruffy on the Texas Tech SAAC leadership team as Vice President, while Thomson serves as treasurer and Curley as a representative.

"It is always a pleasure collaborating with student-athletes across the conference when facing issues as prevalent as diversity and inclusion," Bruffy said. "Learning to look past our differences in order to achieve unity in progression is a message that we are working hard to spread across the Big 12."

Most of the three-day convention focused on ways to increase participation in diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus, including by taking part in the RISE program. RISE's purpose is to educate and empower athletes to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations on their campus and with their respective teams.

"It was very beneficial to be surrounded by other student-athletes within our conference that share similar experiences as us and who offer additional insight," Curley said. "It was great to escape my comfort zone and grow during this time. Our mission this year as SAAC is to focus on diversity and inclusion, and as we discussed this topic throughout the weekend, I was able to absorb and gather information to bring back as well as ideas of my own."

In line with its SAAC leaders, Texas Tech Athletics is committed to embracing and engaging in activities that advance the university's priorities along with incorporating Big 12 SAAC initiatives specifically associated with this year's focus on diversity and inclusion.

"We are proud of our student-athletes for serving as leaders at the conference level and within these important conversations," Senior Associate Athletics Director Amy Heard said. "We expect them to continue to bring back ideas and key takeaways that they can then implement on campus in order to best serve their peers."

Texas Tech University Athletics

Thomson, Alli Named to Big 12 SAAC Leadership Positions

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