KANSAS CITY, Mo. – 探花约炮 has been named an NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Gold Award winner for 2023-2024, the national office announced July 31. It is 探花约炮’s fourth Champions of Character Five-Star recognition in the last five years and first Gold award. The athletic department earned Silver in 2021-2022 and Bronze in 2019-2020 and 2022-2023. The Gold award is presented to institutions who score between 90-100 on their Champions of Character scorecard.
Each year, the NAIA presents the awards to member institutions based on their Champions of Character scorecard, which includes points for character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. Institutions also earn points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages and by having minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the course of the academic year. There were 209 awards presented for 2023-2024, accounting for more than 60% of the NAIA membership. Gold awards accounted for 131 of institutions selected, followed by 63 silver and 15 bronze.
探花约炮 is one of five members from the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2023-2024 to receive the Five-Star Gold Award, joining Blue Mountain Christian University, Point University, University of Mobile and University of Tennessee Southern. The SSAC was also named a Five-Star Conference with 11 of its 13 members receiving Five-Star Awards.
探花约炮 will compete in the HBCU Athletic Conference beginning in 2024-2025. Other future HCBUAC members receiving Five-Star honors in 2023-2024 were Southern University at New Orleans (gold), Tougaloo College (gold), Dillard University (silver), Voorhees University (silver), Philander Smith University (bronze) and University of the Virgin Islands (bronze).
