PORTSMOUTH — For the first time in four seasons, the Shawnee State University Athletic Department was awarded with an NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Award, as the department was one of 209 across the NAIA realm awarded with such on Wednesday — per a release by national officials within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Shawnee State, who claimed bronze status, achieved its first NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Award since the 2019-20 season with Wednesday’s announcement.

To be considered for NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star status, SSU had to establish a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character — and earn points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion.

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.

The 209 NAIA member institutions that were rewarded with Champions of Character Five-Star Award status represents a continued increase for the association as a whole over the last three years — as that mark rose significantly from the 171 schools that were honored in 2022-23, and was also up significantly from the 157 schools that were honored in 2021-22 and 2020-21.

In all, 181 and 180 schools, respectively, were honored during the 2019-20 and 2018-19 seasons.

Conference-wide, the River States Conference was named as an NAIA Five-Star Conference — as each of the 13 members of the River States in 2023-24 was awarded as a NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution as a result.

To be a Five-Star Conference, a Champions of Character Conference Committee, as well as a conduct in competition oversight committee of at least three members, must be formed — and at least 60-percent of a conference’s institutions must receive the NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award.

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