FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The University of Saint Francis earned its seventh consecutive designation as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champions of Character institution for 2019-20.
USF earned Gold status in the scoring system with a perfect score of 100.
Each year, NAIA schools use the Champions of Character scorecard 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. Institutions earned 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 181 NAIA institutions that earned Five-Star Awards. Award levels are based on the number of points earned: gold (90-100 points), silver (75-89 points) and bronze (60-74 points). USF is a member of the Crossroads League, one of 16 conferences recognized as a COC Five-Star conference.
“This is an exceptional accomplishment and a credit to the dedication of our coaching staff and student-athletes in valuing character-driven athletics,” Director of Athletics Mike McCaffrey said. “It is a great honor to be one of 181 of nearly 400 member institutions to achieve this level in 2019-20.”
For more information, contact Director of Athletics Mike McCaffrey at 260-399-7700, ext. 6250, or mmcaffrey@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Sciences, and Business and College of Adult and Distance Education. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.