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December 3, 2021
Three collegiate athletic conferences in the United States, the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), Big Ten and Pac-12 (Pacific-12) have formed a joint “Teammates for Mental Health” initiatlve to raise awareness among their more than 27,000 student-athletes.
In August 2021, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 formed a historic alliance that brought 41 world-class institutions together on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics. This initiative builds on their work to address mental wellness, including the creation of dedicated task forces and cabinets comprised of mental health professionals on campuses. It encompasses regular season Alliance matchups and others during the 2021-22 seasons.
“One in five adults in our nation live with mental illness each year,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren. “Now more than ever, our student-athletes are faced with their own unique circumstances that could potentially impact their mental health as they strive to balance academic commitments, practices and games, serving their communities, and building their brands. This initiative is designed to remind all of us, especially our student-athletes, to prioritize our mental health and seek professional help when needed.”
Teammates for Mental Health officially kicked off with the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Women’s and Men’s Basketball Challenge, a series of 28 contests which ran from November 29 through December 2. It included public address announcements, digital signage, coaches’ lapel pins and promotions that help serve fans’ mental health and wellness needs. A campaign public service announcement featuring women’s and men’s basketball head coaches and the commissioners from all three conferences, aired on broadcast networks and conference-owned digital and social media channels.
“Supporting student athletes is the Alliance’s central mission, and ‘Teammates for Mental Health’ is an important step in our collective effort to address the key health and wellness needs of our student athletes,” said Pac -12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. “The 41 world-class universities in the Alliance have incredible knowledge, research capabilities and resources that, together, can help address critical issues such as mental health.”
The ACC is located in the eastern United States. In 2021, the ACC conference held a virtual summit that addressed the effects and takeaways from navigating a pandemic. In addition to the continued development of educational materials and virtual events, mental health professionals within the ACC host a monthly conference call in which they share best practices around education and methods of treatment.
The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The Big Ten Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet was formed in 2019 to promote optimal mental health for student-athletes. The cabinet is comprised of 31 individuals representing a wide range of disciplines, including mental health educators, medical doctors, faculty athletic representatives and senior woman administrators.
The Pac-12 Conference operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. In 2020 the Pac-12 held its first-ever Student-Athlete Mental Health Summit on the campus of UCLA, and each year over one million dollars of Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being funding is allocated to support mental health services across Pac-12 campuses.
Source: Gopher Sports
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