FORT WAYNE, Ind. – University of Saint Francis athletics has earned its sixth consecutive designation as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champions of Character institution for 2018-19.
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 180 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 15 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 on character-driven athletics,” said Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey. “We are all especially humbled as one of 180 out of nearly 400-member institutions to achieve this level in 2018-19.”
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. 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.