Collegiate Sports Sustainability Network Charter
Mission
The mission of the Collegiate Sports Sustainability Network (CSSN) is to establish a national framework for collaboration and leadership that advances sustainability in collegiate athletics. Through knowledge-sharing, best practices and strategic initiatives, CSSN will provide a foundation for integrating sustainability across sports programs in higher education.
CSSN achieves its mission through:
Best practices dissemination: Sharing proven sustainability strategies and methods that have succeeded within collegiate sports.
Capacity-building: Developing and delivering training and resources that empower current and future sustainability and athletics professionals.
Networking and events: Hosting an annual conference and other gatherings that unite current and future professionals dedicated to sustainability in sports.
Vision
To make sustainability a core component of the collegiate sports ecosystem.
CSSN seeks to achieve this vision through the following goals:
Elevate the student-athlete experience by fostering sustainable practices that contribute to personal development and environmental awareness.
Enhance community connections by engaging athletics programs in impactful, sustainability-driven projects that benefit both campuses and their broader communities.
Optimize operations to deliver long-term efficiencies and sustainability outcomes that align with institutional and environmental goals.
This approach will integrate athletics programs with campus sustainability priorities, deliver operational optimizations that improve cost efficiency and resource stewardship, and position athletic professionals and students as sustainability leaders.
Values
CSSN’s work is guided by five core values that shape our actions and goals:
Transparency - We prioritize open, clear communication and accountability in all initiatives.
Accountability - We hold ourselves and our members responsible for meaningful progress toward sustainability goals.
Student Success - We support initiatives that enhance student development and environmental impact.
Community - We strengthen the bond between athletics programs and their surrounding communities through sustainable practices.
Sport Ecology - We recognize that sports and the environment shape each other and promote sustainable practices that build a resilient sports ecosystem.
Foundational Pillars
CSSN is built on five foundational pillars that guide its efforts to integrate sustainability into collegiate athletics. These pillars represent the core focus areas through which CSSN advances its mission and drives impact:
Academics/Research: Utilize the teaching and research of colleges and universities to develop innovative sports sustainability solutions.
Student-Athlete Support: Support student-athletes across the nation as the leaders of the sustainability transformation.
Operations: Demonstrate resource reductions and efficiencies in facility and event operations.
Sponsorship & Marketing: Seize opportunities for new revenue streams utilizing sustainability in the development of sponsorship and marketing partnerships.
Fan & Community Engagement: Create sustainable behavior change through engaging fans on campus and in the community.
Structure and Governance
Network Membership
Membership in the CSSN is open to individuals affiliated with higher education institutions, including faculty, staff, students and sustainability and athletic professionals. As a community of practice, members of the CSSN gain access to a dynamic and supportive community dedicated to advancing sustainability within higher education.
CSSN will have two primary leadership structures: the National Leadership Board and Working Groups.
National Leadership Board
The National Leadership Board will consist of ten members from any accredited higher education institution, representing sustainability or athletics faculty and/or staff, with a focus on diverse conference representation. The Board will provide strategic oversight and decision-making within CSSN. The Board will be comprised of two overall co-directors and two co-chairs for each committee. This team of co-directors and co-chairs will guide the development of working groups.
Working Groups
Working Groups are the driving force behind CSSN’s initiatives, addressing critical areas of collegiate sports sustainability. Working Groups will consist of students, industry experts and higher education professionals. These groups will be topic-oriented, each focusing on specific sustainability goals or initiatives within collegiate athletics and operating as a community of practice.
Terms
CSSN leadership positions are voluntary and based on three-year terms, organized into phases that support a sustainable leadership cycle:
Year 1 (Learning) – New members focus on onboarding and understanding CSSN’s structure and goals.
Year 2 (Leading/Doing) – Members actively contribute to projects, participate in leadership roles and drive initiatives forward.
Year 3 (Transferring Knowledge) – Outgoing members mentor new members, ensuring knowledge transfer and continuity.
In CSSN’s inaugural year (2025), half of the Leadership Board members will be selected through an application and selection process led by the founding committee and serve either 2 or 4-year terms to facilitate staggered leadership transitions. After the inaugural year, leadership positions will be filled through a self-nomination process.
Funding and Resources
CSSN will seek funding through grants, institutional partnerships and sponsorships to support its operations, initiatives and annual events. All funds will be used transparently, with oversight from the National Leadership Board.