NYU Athletics

Executive Board 

New York University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has announced its Executive Board for the 2025-26 academic year. SAAC is a student-led group where student-athletes can connect with other teams, the Athletic Department, and the larger NYU community. They find ways to support members within their own community, as well as to positively impact the larger community around them. 

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Karleigh Kleuver, President
Sport: Softball






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Victor Derani, Vice President
Sport: Men's Swimming & Diving






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Aileen Yu, Head of Events
Sport: Women's Tennis









Bryan Manheimer, Head of Community Development
Sport: Men's Swimming & Diving






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Emma Kast,  Head of Communications
Sport: Women's Tennis









Miles Kessler, Head of Career Development
Sport: Baseball






 

2025 - 2026 SAAC Team Representatives

Representatives attend monthly meetings and report updates and needs to their respective team and the SAAC e-board. All 2025-2026 representatives will be listed here once they are selected.

Commitment to Serve

I commit to serve on the New York University's Student Athlete Advisory Committee for the remainder of the 2025-2026 Academic Year. As a member of this committee, I commit to the following:

• I will uphold the mission and goals of SAAC.
• I will represent my team by attending bi-weekly SAAC meetings. When I am unavailable, I will find a substitute, so that our team is always represented.
• I will attend a minimum of FIVE meetings per semester.
• If my team cannot attend a meeting due to practice or competition, I will read the meeting recap in the GroupMe.
• I will forward information and materials from SAAC to my teammates to ensure they are aware of upcoming events and opportunities.
• I will ask my teammates for feedback and suggestions for events and present this information in SAAC Meetings on behalf of my team.
• I will work with SAAC to create opportunities to build the student-athlete community and engage the larger campus and neighboring communities.
• I will assist with event planning for SAAC sponsored events whenever possible.
• I will participate in all SAAC sponsored events and encourage teammates' attendance.
• I will vote on behalf of my team on Policy and Athletic legislation when necessary.
• I will ensure that my team completes the community service requirement established by the committee.​​​​

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Athlete Spotlights

Our student-athletes accomplish amazing things, whether it's on the field, in the pool, or in their communities. The Athlete Spotlight is a way for students to highlight the hard work that their teammates and friends are doing, whether it be in their sport, classroom, or professionally. If you have an example of an athlete doing something outstanding, let us know in the athlete spotlight submission form.

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Violet Cup

The NYU Violet Cup is a friendly competition between all NYU Varsity Sports Teams. During the academic year, teams can gain points through community service, athletic and academic achievement, community development, and more. At the end of the Spring semester, a Violet Cup winner will be crowned at the end-of-year athletic celebration. The Violet Cup acts as a way to motivate student-athletes to attend events and to meet certain goals throughout the year. Through participation in the Violet Cup, the SAAC hopes to develop a stronger relationship with the varsity student-athlete body, the Athletics Department, and the Office of Student-Athlete Excellence. The friendly competition also encourages team building and networking between different sports and teams. 
 
The point system is reflective of the five developmental components of the NCAA Student Athlete Affairs program: Academic, Athletic, Career, Personal, and Service. Student-athletes can score points for their respective teams by attending bi-weekly SAAC meetings, engaging in community service events, having high academic and athletic honors, and more!

Categories that Will Earn Points: SAAC Meetings, SAAC Event Participation, Athletic Achievement, Academic Awards/GPA, Career Development, VPC and D3 Week Participation, Community Building Events, Community Service, Supporting Other Team's Athletic Contests

How to Earn Points:

• Academic
  • Highest Team Semester GPA
  • Receive the Academic Achievement Award 
  • IAAC Honor Roll
  • Achieve the following academic recognition: Scholar All-American, UAA All-Academic, Academic All-District Honors, etc…
• Athletic
  • Achieve the following recognitions: All-American/Honorable Mention, National/NCAA Qualifier, National Champions, ECAC / UAA Champions, UAA Athlete of the Week, etc…
  • Complete/pass the OSAE athletics eligibility quiz
• Career
  • Attend a resume drop
  • Attend the Student Athlete Alumni Event
• Service
  • Attend a community service event sponsored by SAAC
  • Receive the MLK Jr. Award or the Russ Hamberger Award
• Other
  • Attend SAAC meetings
  • Attend SAAC events
  • Attend other teams' games
  • D3 week participation
  • VPC Athlete of the Year

How to Submit Points:
1) Have your team SAAC reps enter them into this google sheet. When submitting points, please comment the names of those who were a part of the accomplishment and the date.

2) Send a photo of you or your team at an event to the SAAC Instagram (@nyu_saac) or in an email to athletics-saac@nyu.edu with a short description.

Violet Cup Prize: Starting this year, there will be a trophy that will be on display in the new gym (181 Mercer), and the winning team will have their name etched in the trophy. Additionally, every team member of the winning team will receive Violet Cup pins that they can show off on their swag bags!

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