SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 has approved a new policy to support Pac-12 student-athletes who train to compete at the Paralympic Games or other elite Para athletic competitions, effective January 1, 2023. The Pac-12 Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT), a dynamic group featuring student-athletes from all Conference member institutions across a breadth of sports, developed and proposed the legislation, with subsequent review from the Pac-12 Council, of which the SALT is a unit along with league athletics directors, faculty athletic representatives, and senior woman administrators. The policy was officially approved and enacted by the Pac-12 Board of Directors.

As a result of this policy, each Pac-12 athletics department will provide elite Para athletes access to athletic department facilities, services, and coaching to further their training, as well as the support necessary to train successfully in each local community while pursuing their education at the Conference institution. 

“We are incredibly proud of our Student-Athlete Leadership Team for architecting this groundbreaking policy,” said Pac-12 Assistant Commissioner, Compliance & Governance, Chris Merino. “The legislation establishes positive change to support adaptive athletics on our campuses and illustrates a shared commitment from the Conference and Pac-12 student-athletes to leadership in matters of equity and belonging.”

One Pac-12 student-athlete who was instrumental in the development of this inclusive legislation was Mary Cooper, a former national champion rower for Stanford who graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering and computer science and is currently pursuing her master’s in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Cooper, a Para athlete herself, praised the Pac-12 SALT and expressed support for the Conference’s commitment to inclusivity:

“The Pac-12 SALT is an amazing organization for student-athletes to have their voices heard,” said Cooper. “I’m really proud to be in the Pac-12 because this policy, and the Pac-12 in general, does not just have ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ as buzz words; I think these are action words in the policy, which is super exciting.”

In partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Pac-12 celebrated the imminent enactment of the policy at its 2022 Football Championship Game this past December in Las Vegas. Current Stanford student and track & field competitor at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Sydney Barta, was recognized at the game during a special promotion of the policy and expressed excitement for how the legislation would impact her own athletic trajectory and that of future elite athletes:   

“When the Pac-12 asked me to attend the Football Championship Game, I was so honored because I know how hard Mary and a lot of her fellow athletes in SALT had been working,” said Barta. “It makes me really happy to be one of the first people that this policy is going to impact. Hopefully, a couple years down the line, it will be a complete pipeline for elite Paralympians and Paralympic hopefuls to come through Pac-12 schools and be supported.”

The Para athletics policy has been established ahead of the upcoming Pac-12 Health Equity Summit, set for Jan. 26-27, 2023 at the Luskin Conference Center on the campus of UCLA. The meeting is hosted by the Pac-12 Student Athlete Health and Well-Being Initiative (SAHWBI) and examines the delivery of healthcare in collegiate athletics through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Presentations and panel discussions at the Summit will feature a diverse group of medical practitioners, athletic training professionals, and Pac-12 student-athletes.

Registration for the Pac-12 Health Equity Summit is available here.  

About the Pac-12 
The Pac-12 Conference is dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders by championing excellence in academics, athletics, and the well-being of our student-athletes. Built on a firm foundation of academic excellence and superior athletic performance, the Pac-12 continues to renew its undisputed claim as the “Conference of Champions,” leading the nation with 546 NCAA team titles overall, over 200 more than the next closest conference. The Pac-12 also wholly owns and operates Pac-12 Networks, the Conference's sports media company that produces and distributes 850 live sporting events each season, making it one of the top live-sports producers in the country. Pac-12 Networks also offers extensive digital content via Pac-12.com, the Pac-12 Now app, Pac-12 official athletics websites and Pac-12 Insider. The Pac-12 Conference is comprised of 12 leading U.S. universities, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Washington State University. More information on the Pac-12 is available at Pac-12.com.