More than 400 Division I student-athletes have been identified as NCAA elite student-athletes by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and their sport-specific national governing bodies, a recognition that provides them flexibility in the types of resources they can be provided and their training hour limits through NCAA legislation.
In total, the USOPC has identified 434 Division I elite student-athletes representing 100 schools for the 2023-24 academic year.
Specifically, through Division I legislation passed in 2020, elite student-athletes may receive additional developmental training expenses from the USOPC, national governing bodies or their respective national Olympic committee, including travel for parents, guardians, coaches, training partners and sport experts.Those same elite athletes also may work out with coaching staff members without it counting against time limits, but only if the workout is initiated by the student and doesn't cause missed class time.
Adelaide Aquilla, a former Ohio State track and field standout in the shot put, is one example of how the legislation can benefit student-athletes. While a student-athlete, Aquilla represented Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Championships. She credits the elite designation she received twice in her Ohio State career for helping her reach such heights.
"Being designated as an elite athlete has helped me start reaching my goals," said Aquilla, a four-time NCAA champion. "It has allowed me to have more personalized and one-on-one practices with my coach, which helped me make technical changes in my throw."
The USOPC and its national governing bodies collaborate annually to designate NCAA elite student-athletes, based on sport-specific thresholds that vary by sport. The sports with the most NCAA elite student-athletes designated by the USOPC are swimming and diving (99 swimmers and 49 divers from 34 schools), track and field (61 student-athletes from 28 schools) and indoor volleyball (39 student-athletes from 19 schools). (See full breakdown below.)
"College sports is uniquely positioned as an Olympic pipeline for Team USA and countries all over the world," NCAA President Charlie Baker said. "The legislation to allow additional flexibility for elite student-athletes is a great example of a modern approach to providing additional developmental opportunities and resources to pursue their dreams of representing their countries."
The legislation reflects a priority of the USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council — a 12-member council comprising administrators and Team USA athletes — to identify and remove impediments faced by elite student-athletes who are developing, training and competing both collegiately and internationally. Before the Division I Council approved the legislation in 2020, more than 300 national team athletes, coaches and national governing body administrators identified key impediments and worked with compliance leaders to develop legislative remedies in three main areas: training flexibility, elite development resource access and Paralympic inclusion.
The legislation also underscores the commitment of the NCAA and its members to increasing opportunities in Olympic and Paralympic sports. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games — held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — more than 1,000 current and former student-athletes from all three divisions competed for more than 100 countries. College sports are especially valuable to Team USA. Nearly 80% of Team USA's Olympic medalists competed in the NCAA. Sixty-five U.S. Paralympians in Tokyo (more than 25% of the 2020 U.S. Paralympic team) competed collegiately as members of NCAA programs, including 30% of U.S. Paralympic medalists.
