By: Audrey Bloomquist, Director for Championships and Marketing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – At the conclusion of the 2025 fall semester, RMAC student-athletes and administrators participated in two NCAA professional development events, including the 2025 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (SALF) in Dallas, Texas, November 20-23, and the 2025 SAAC Super Region Convention in Denver, Colorado, November 21-23. The SALF contingent consisted of Nash Loibl of the RMAC office, Ana Rojas of Chadron State, Neige Dunn of MSU Denver and Gunner Rohloff of South Dakota Mines, while the SAAC Super Region Convention included SAAC representatives and advisors from Adams State, Black Hills State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis, MSU Denver, Regis, South Dakota Mines, UCCS, Western Colorado and Westminster.

NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum
Hosted by the NCAA leadership development staff, the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum annually provides participants with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their core values, develop emotional intelligence, embrace vulnerability, grow their personal network and develop leadership skills. This year’s forum served 184 student-athletes, as well as nine coaches and 52 administrators, nominated by their conference offices.

“My experience at SALF was amazing,” said Nash Loibl, RMAC Advanced Graduate Assistant for Strategic Communications. “Getting to know each and every student-athlete, hearing their story and watching them grow into leaders over the weekend was incredible to see. Personally, connecting with other administrators and coaches was eye-opening and allowed me to see the type of leader I want to be as I advance in my career.”

The 2025 SALF program theme, "Adjust Your Sails," aimed to equip student-athletes with leadership skills and empower them to take on greater responsibilities on their campuses and in their communities. Each year, SALF helps student-athletes and administrators build on their existing knowledge of their leadership strengths and encourages them to apply new techniques to their leadership roles within teams and professional environments.

“Attending the Student-Athlete Leadership Forum challenged me to grow beyond who I thought I was and step into the leader I am becoming,” said Neige Dunn, MSU Denver women’s golf student-athlete. “The experience reshaped how I see myself and gave me the confidence and intention to lead with purpose, positively impacting my team and the people around me. It was a true honor to represent my university and the RMAC.”

SAAC Super Region Convention
Organized by NCAA Division II SAAC, the 2025 SAAC Super Region Convention included South Central and West conference attendees from the CCAA, GNAC, LSC, PacWest and RMAC. Throughout the three-day event, attendees developed a greater understanding of the role of SAAC in Division II and the impact of the student-athlete voice, gained tools for improving student-athlete mental health, belonging and confidence in life after athletics, participated in community engagement initiatives with Make-A-Wish and Team Impact, and presented conference-wide SAAC goals.

“The Super Region Convention was such an incredible experience,” said Tessa Stadler, women’s cross country and track and field student-athlete at Fort Lewis College. “It was fascinating to hear from so many knowledgeable and accomplished speakers to help us all become better leaders on and off our teams and campuses. I really loved getting to collaborate with other RMAC representatives to create action plans we can bring back to our campuses that will have an immediate impact on our SAAC programs and student-athletes.”

Administrators participated in similar convention sessions, while also discussing ideas for maximizing the impact of student-athlete involvement on their campuses and analyzing common roadblocks in creating effective SAAC programs. Administrators joined group planning sessions with student-athletes to create 2026 campus and conference SAAC goals, many of which closely aligned with National SAAC’s goal of enhancing community engagement and mental health initiatives.

The RMAC proudly shares these experiences of its dedicated student-athletes and administrators engaging with NCAA leadership and professional development opportunities each year, highlighting the league’s commitment to developing its membership beyond athletic competitions.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 69 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.