By DACODA MCDOWELL-WAHPEKECHE, Sports Editor
Northwestern’s Nicholas Dill has earned the opportunity to serve student athletes in the Great American Conference at the national level.
On March 4, Dill was appointed as a member of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He is a junior mass communication major at Northwestern from The Colony, Texas. He is also a kicker for Northwestern’s football team.
Dill said the opportunity to serve on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will benefit the future of athletics in the Great American Conference.
“I am really excited to do some stuff with this position,” Dill said. “Now that I have it, I am excited to work with people at the national level. I will meet some great people and try to make an impact.”
Dill said he is appreciative of the opportunity to represent Northwestern in addition to representing the Great American Conference.
“Sadiaa [Jones] said that, since she has been here, they [Northwestern] haven’t had a representative on the national level,” Dill said. “I think for Northwestern, it’s great that we can get our name out there. … I hope I can lead the conversation that Northwestern has good quality athletes and people.”
Sadiaa Jones has served as the associate director of athletics for compliance and student services at Northwestern since August 2017. She also serves as the adviser of Northwestern’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Jones said Dill is the best person to represent the Great American Conference.
“He is a great representative of not only athletics, but being a student here at Northwestern,” Jones said. “He is always involved in everything and is always willing to help out. Whether that be athletically related or not, you see him all over campus.”
Dill is a member of Northwestern’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He is also a member of several other clubs and organizations on campus.
“He is just a good person who is willing to get involved,” Jones said. “He is a great student. He is a great ambassador for Northwestern.”
Matt Walter, Northwestern’s head football coach, has coached Northwestern’s football team for five seasons. Dill has been a part of Walter’s football program since the fall semester of 2018. Walter said having Dill representing the Great American Conference is beneficial to the conference and Northwestern.
“What people probably don’t realize is how influential the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is on the national level,” Walter said. “They get to vote on legislation the NCAA puts out. It’s huge to have somebody from our program and from our university that’s representing us at the national level.”
An example of that legislation is the adoption of the notification of transfer model. This piece of legislation allows student-athletes to notify their schools through a written request that they are transferring.
Rather than having to wait for their current university to allow it, student-athletes can immediately start talking to other universities about transferring to their institutions. This is different from the old model that restricts student-athletes from talking with other universities until their current universities have permitted them to.
That is just one example of what Dill will see during his term. He will discuss, vote on and create legislation that will reshape the NCAA at the Division II level.
Dill will be able to go into that opportunity and make a difference with legislation and his character, Walter said.
“The guy is literally best friends with everyone on the team,” Walter said. “The stereotype is that kickers are standoffish and set to the side in the sport of football. But Nick makes it like he is one of the guys. … He’s a unique person. I’m glad he’s here.”
“I am really going to put in the work to attend all the meetings and come well-prepared to the meetings,” Dill said. “Whatever I need to relay back to Sadiaa or anyone else in our conference, I will make sure I have every detail right and accurate.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nick Dill is a student in the mass communication program. He did not contribute to or review this story.