GLIAC-- In a continued effort to encourage voter participation, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) student-athletes will have the day off from all countable athletically-related activities (CARA) on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Collaborating with athletics administration, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) led the request to pause athletic activities to encourage student-athletes and staff members to exercise their right to vote.
In August, the league office began an educational campaign to encourage voter registration and to educate our student-athletes, coaches, and fans on the importance of voting and civic engagement.
In a recent interview, SAAC president Ismael Contreras explained that "voter education and registration was a big mission for the SAAC group, and not just for this upcoming year." The GLIAC SAAC is also looking to develop future voter education programs that will target incoming collegiate student-athletes.
"I'm proud to have our student-athletes leading the way on this initiative, and I'm also proud of our athletic directors, who recognize the importance of this for our students." GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dunbar said. "As a league, we worked to encourage voter participation and wanted to ensure our membership was educated and prepared for the upcoming election."
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About the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), founded in 1972, has been a leader in the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men and women for 48 years. The charter members of the GLIAC were Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Northwood University, and Saginaw State University. The current membership now includes 12 full members: Ashland University, Davenport University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, Northwood University, Purdue University Northwest, Saginaw Valley State University, Wayne State University, and the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The Conference has grown to offer championships in 21 sports while rising to prominence on the national level as GLIAC teams and student-athletes have achieved success both in the classroom and on the fields of play