KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced its five-star Champions of Character award winners earlier this week. The River States Conference was named a 5-Star Champions of Character Conference, and all 12 current RSC members were honored.

Institutions are evaluated based on their demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earn points in areas such as character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion. They receive points for maintaining high student-athlete GPA averages and for having minimal to no ejections during competitions throughout the academic year.

Each year, NAIA schools use the Champions of Character core report to measure the pursuit of character-driven athletics. Schools scoring a minimum of 60 out of 100 points earn the Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award. Conferences earn the Five-Star Conference Award based in part on at least 60% of their schools being named Five-Star Institution Award winners. The conference must also have a Champions of Character Committee and a Conduct in Competition Oversight Committee. 

Eight River States Conference members - Indiana University Columbus, Indiana University Southeast, Kentucky Christian, Midway University, Oakland City University, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Shawnee State University, and the University of Rio Grande earned gold status. Three members - Brescia University, Indiana University East, and Indiana University Kokomo earned silver status, while West Virginia University Institute of Technology earned bronze status.

The Champions of Character program helps participants find the balance by keeping five core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – at the heart of the athletics experience.

Students learn to understand how the values play out in both practice and competition. Coaches are taught how to intentionally define, model, shape and reinforce the values through their coaching and mentoring. Parents learn how their behavior is key to supporting their athletes.

For more than a decade, Champions of Character has been making a difference in developing athletes, coaches and parents of character.

The NAIA is committed to advancing character-driven athletics.