The Score: August 24, 2022

AUGUST 24, 2022

Important Dates & Reminders

SEPTEMBER 1: Eligibility Center requires summer transcripts for fall 2022 determinations.

REMINDER: Please make sure your institution's majors are included in NAIAHelp. This allows prospective students to search for schools based on both sport and major.

News

NEW: Collegiate Student-Athlete of Character Nominations

The NAIA is seeking nominations for the Collegiate Student-Athlete of Character Award. This award recognizes a student-athlete for a specific of act of character displayed during competition or practice. One overall winner will be chosen and recognized at the 2022 Champions of Character Foundation Luncheon in November. Click here to nominate a student-athlete. The deadline is September 16.

NEW: Drug Free Sport Offerings

Drug Free Sport (DFS) has launched a new AXIS website that allows athletes to confidentially inquire about supplements and medications. Click here for login instructions. The NAIA's access code is naialive5. DFS also offers the following educational offerings:

NAC Meeting Summary & Qualification Plans

The National Administrative Council met on August 3, 2022 for its first quarterly meeting of the 2022-23 academic year. A summary of the meeting can be found here.

The 2022-23 Qualification Plans were approved at the meeting. The competitive cheer and dance qualification plans will be approved by the NAC Executive Committee in September.

Five-Star Award Winners Announced

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. Conferences earn the Five-Star Conference Award based in part on at least 50% of their schools being named Five-Star Institution Award winners.

For 2021-22, 157 NAIA institutions and 20 conferences earned the Champions of Character Five-Star Award. The complete list of winning institutions can be found here and winning conferences can be found here.

Return on Athletics^®

Relationship Between Spending, Retention, and Competitive Success

Success in sports is synonymous with winning. Besides talented athletes and coaches, what external factors contribute to competitive success? What benefits can be realized from a winning athletic program? We examine these questions in our latest research brief on the relationship between spending, retention, and competitive success.

Questions? Contact Director of ROA Alan Grosbach.

Eligibility

NEW: Updated Fall 2022 Decisions

If a student you are working with has received a fall 2022 decision of “not eligible” and new information has been received on their profile that could be used to make them eligible, please request an updated decision via our contact us form. Please do not start a new application unless you are seeking a new decision for a future term.

NEW: Eligibility Status Information

Please use the contact us form or email (ECinfo@naia.org) if you have questions about a student’s eligibility status or document status. The customer relations team will not answer these inquiries over the phone due to high call volumes and wait times. If emailing directly, please include “status check” along with the student’s ECID# in the subject line of the email.

NEW: PlayNAIA Performance Update

The NAIA’s programming partner has identified several items that are expected to improve performance. We are working to test and implement those fixes throughout the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor performance and thank you for your ongoing patience.

August Eligibility Edge Newsletter

Check out this month's issue of the Eligibility Edge, a newsletter dedicated exclusively to NAIA eligibility topics. For questions regarding newsletter distribution or to add someone to the email list before the September issue, please contact Jen Saab.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

NEW: Senior Women Leader Lunch 'n Learn Sessions

Senior Woman Leaders, save the date for our next Lunch 'n Learn on September 14 at 12 p.m. CT. The topic will be Title IX and Gender Equity Planning for Men's and Women’s Sports, presented by Reagan Rossi, athletic director at The College of Idaho. Make sure to come back each month to learn about our topics and resources here.

NEW: Membership Discount for Women Leaders in College Sports

Women Leaders in College Sports is offering a $100 discount of membership for NAIA senior women leaders. Click here for more information.

NAIA RISE-DEI Internship Opening

The NAIA is seeking NAIA graduate student candidates to apply for a DEI internship. This position will work with both the NAIA RISE Committee and NAIA national office to assist with the association's DEI efforts. More information about the position can be found here.

Sponsorships

NEW: NAIA Ring Partners

As you prepare for the 2022-23 year, make sure to check out the NAIA's three preferred ring vendors - Baron Rings, Herff Jones, and Signature Rings that are the “Official Licensed Suppliers of Recognition Rings of the NAIA.” Each of the three companies has extensive experience in providing custom, championship rings for both collegiate and professional athletics.

NEW: Opendorse Student-Athlete Profiles

As the new academic and athletic year kicks off, we encourage your student-athletes to create an account with Opendorse, the exclusive NIL partner of the NAIA. Simply provide them the links below and resources to get started, and they’ll be on their way to marketing their personal brand and finding NIL deals.

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