JACKSONVILLE, Fla., — The United Athletic Conference Council of Student-Athletes (COSA) announced the officers for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. Elected by their peers, the COSA delegates will represent the conference at both the national level as well as on their campuses.

2026-27 UAC Council of Student-Athletes Officers
Grace Clark, EKU (Women’s Golf) - NCAA Division I SAAC Representative Sofia Allen, UT Arlington (Track and Field) - UAC COSA Chair Raghan Allen, Central Arkansas (Track and Field) - UAC COSA Vice Chair Italya Cloyd, Austin Peay (Volleyball) - UAC COSA Secretary Nevaeh Schmeling, Austin Peay (Track and Field) - UAC COSA Social Media Coordinator.

Formerly known as Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), COSA representatives will play an integral role in the governance structure moving forward. Two student-athletes from each institution will participate in meetings within their conference and as a collective group under the Unisun Sports umbrella. COSA designated areas of authority include Student-Athlete Wellness and Community Impact Initiatives, positioning student-athletes as leaders in shaping conference priorities related to health, well-being, engagement and service.

"Congratulations to our elected student-athlete leadership team. As we transition to a new governance structure, the Council of Student-Athletes will—for the first time in the history of these two great conferences—act as a formal governing body with voting privileges," said Unisun Sports CEO, Jeff Bacon. "These leaders will help shape the future of both the ASUN and the UAC, and I look forward to working closely with each of them."

EKU’s Grace Clark will serve as the NCAA Division l SAAC Representative for the second consecutive year. She has previously served as a part of the ASUN SAAC E-Team before serving as the NCAA Division l SAAC Representative last year.

“Our conference has always been at the forefront of giving student-athletes a voice and our transition to COSA is only an extension of that,” said Clark. “Putting student-athletes at the same level as administrators while also allowing them voting rights on issues that directly affect them and the hundreds of athletes they represent is an incredible step as we look forward in college athletics.”

UT Arlington’s Sophia Allen will serve as the UAC COSA Chair. Allen, a senior on the Track and Field team, is a Pre-Clinical Biology major with a minor in psychology and biochemistry.

“I am very excited for all the changes and new opportunities this year in COSA,” said Allen. “I can’t wait to meet other students that are passionate about helping their fellow student athletes as well as their communities like I am.”

Raghan Allen, a sprinter on the UCA Track and Field team will serve as the UAC COSA Vice Chair.

“I’m looking forward to bouncing ideas off of each other to make our institution SAACs better and making sure their voices are heard in the decisions that have a direct effect on them,” said Allen. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve and represent the UAC COSA.”

Two of this year’s board members come from Austin Peay including Itallya Cloyd, who will serve as the Secretary and Neveah Schmeling who will serve as the Social Media Coordinator. Cloyd, a member of the Governors Volleyball team has previously served as a part of the Austin Peay SAAC E-Board and served as a research assistant in the Child Development Lab on campus.

“I'm so excited to serve on the UAC COSA E-Board because I love any chance to advocate for my fellow student athletes,” said Cloyd. “There are so many voices that need to be heard and I can't wait to be a part of making that happen.”

Schmeling is a junior on the Austin Peay Track and Field team where she is a hurdler. She previously served as the Vice Chair for ASUN SAAC.

Under the new governance structure, two student-athletes will serve as voting members at the highest level of both Conference and Unisun Governance in the Management Committees and Administrative Council. This reflects a shared-governance philosophy, recognizing student-athletes as active contributors to conference leadership rather than passive recipients of policy decisions.