Committee Recommends NCAA Develop New Safety and Mental Health Strategies

In advance of the NCAA Convention in January, the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports met virtually Dec. 12 to make recommendations to the Board of Governors. CSMAS recommended the board take the following action on three key items:

1. Endorse updated strategic priorities for mental and physical health, safety and performance to better align with responsibilities outlined in the new NCAA constitution. The recommended revisions include broader and more flexible categories that more accurately reflect the priorities of the membership:
   1. Mental and physical health.
   2. Sport-related illness and injury.
   3. Training and performance.
   4. Education and policy. 
2. Approve policies and procedures for the identification of evidence- and consensus-based guidance to support student-athlete mental and physical health, safety and performance. If adopted, these policies and procedures would replace the existing Uniform Standards of Care Process. 
3. Extend phase two of the NCAA transgender student-athlete participation policy through the 2023-24 academic year to allow additional time to address operational considerations in phase three of the policy.

CSMAS also recommended additional discussion about wearable technologies with an aim to revisit statements from 2014 and 2016 and to consider the need to hold a summit to further explore the topic.

Takeaways from the first gathering of the Mental Health Advisory Group and the Cannabis in Collegiate Athletics Summit were also shared with CSMAS.

CSMAS will next meet virtually Feb. 20-21.