AMES, Iowa – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced Iowa State University Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard will join its USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council. Pollard will begin his appointment in quarter one of 2023.
Now in its sixth year of operation, the CAC brings high-contributing collegiate administrators and athletes with both collegiate sport and Team USA experience to help bridge and develop the relationship between the key stakeholders. Also today, the USOPC announced Bernard Muir will serve as the new CAC chair, and the new structure includes four designated athlete seats.
"The collegiate landscape is critically important to the current and future health of Olympic and Paralympic sport, and we're thrilled to welcome Bernard Muir as chair and new member Jamie Pollard to our Collegiate Advisory Council to help us advance this work," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. "From launching the USOPC Collegiate Think Tank, to working with the NCAA to update legislation, to supporting athletes competing in both systems, the council has already accomplished a great deal since its inception – and we are focused on continuing our efforts in support of Team USA student-athletes."
The 12-member council is comprised of:
- Bernard Muir (Stanford University/USOPC CAC chair)
- Sandy Barbour (Pennsylvania State University)
- Greg Byrne (University of Alabama)
- ^Lauren Crandall (Athlete/Wake Forest University)
- Bubba Cunningham (University of North Carolina/USOPC board representative)
- ^Jessica Heims (Athlete/University of Northern Iowa)
- ^Chaunté Lowe (Athlete/Georgia Institute of Technology)
- Rob Mullens (University of Oregon)
- *Jamie Pollard (Iowa State University)
- Gene Smith (The Ohio State University)
- ^Kendall Spencer (University of New Mexico)
- Scott Stricklin (University of Florida)
*Denotes new member starting in quarter one of 2023
^Denotes athlete representative
With the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 on the horizon, the USOPC CAC will continue carrying out its mission of strengthening leading collaboration efforts to align our country's unique collegiate athletic landscape and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements to support Team USA's collegiate athletes.
"Collegiate student-athletes represent the majority of Team USA's athletes. Helping identify and facilitate ways to improve the partnerships between collegiate and Olympic athletes is critical to our country's continued success in future Olympic games, said Pollard. I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve in this important role for Team USA."
The council's focus areas are alignment modeling, messaging integration and pathway advancement. Pollard will serve in an advisory role on the pathway advancement effort, which includes advancing sport pathways for student-athletes and coaches to strive for holistic excellence. The CAC will convene its first meeting of 2023 via teleconference March 1.
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The USOPC collegiate partnerships department launched in 2016 to help bridge the important connection between the collegiate and Olympic/Paralympic landscapes. With the majority of Team USA athletes competing collegiately during their athletics journeys, the department focuses on three primary areas: aligning leaders to advance athletic programming on campus, removing impediments faced by college athletes competing both intercollegiatly and in the Team USA system, and messaging the value of Olympic/Paralympic sport opportunities on campus. More information can be found at TeamUSA.org/studentathlete.
