Bramlett to Represent SEC at NCAA Convention

Brady Bramlett
Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss baseball pitcher Brady Bramlett is traveling to San Antonio, Texas this week to represent the Southeastern Conference at the NCAA Convention. Bramlett is one of three student-athletes from the SEC who will vote on proposed governance rule changes under the NCAA’s Division I autonomy process.

Joining Bramlett at the NCAA Convention will be Diamond DeShields, a member of the Tennessee women’s basketball team, and Jay Hughes, a former member of the Mississippi State football team. The trio will represent SEC student-athletes as part of the Autonomy Conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) to “engage and empower student-athletes by giving them both a voice and vote within a transparent decision-making process.” DeShields and Hughes are the SEC’s voting members for the second straight year, while Bramlett will attend the convention for the first time as a conference voter.

“Representing the SEC is a complete honor and thrill,” said Bramlett. “Student-athletes have a vote at the table, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the collective voice is heard.”

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted in August of 2014 to restructure how schools and conferences govern themselves, paving the way for student-athletes to have a voice at every level of decision-making.

The new model grants flexibility to schools in the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac 12 and Southeastern conferences to change rules for themselves in a list of specific areas within Division I. The legislative process for these 65 schools includes three student-athlete representatives from each conference who will vote on rule changes.  Voting on autonomy issues includes 15 student-athletes (three from each of the Five Conferences) who, collectively, will cast votes in greater number than four of the Five Conferences.

“The participation of student-athletes is critical and central to the new autonomy structure and we are well-represented by these three SEC student-athletes,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Our young people are well-equipped to make important decisions about NCAA matters and I look forward to seeing their participation at the convention when they will be side-by-side with athletics administrators and other leaders in intercollegiate athletics.”

This is not the first time Bramlett has been a voice for his fellow student-athletes. The Bartlett, Tennessee native represents the SEC and serves as the Vice-Chair of the NCAA National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a representative on the NCAA Strategic Vision and Planning Committee, a subcommittee of the NCAA Division I Council. He is also a representative on the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.

Bramlett maintains a busy schedule off the field that includes serving as president of the Ole Miss SAAC, singing in the university choir and working towards his degree as a biological science major. The redshirt junior is preparing for the upcoming 2016 baseball season as well. Despite being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2015 MLB Draft, the right hander decided to return to school to lead the Rebels on the mound. Last year, Bramlett made all 15 of his starts in the weekend rotation, bouncing back from a torn labrum that caused him to miss the entire 2014 campaign. He posted a 7-4 record with a 3.74 ERA over 84.1 innings. Bramlett’s invisible fastball helped him strikeout a team-high 83 hitters throughout the season.

The Grand Hyatt San Antonio and San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter will host the 2016 NCAA Convention, Jan. 14-16.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

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