YORK, Neb. – York University Athletics has received the Gold Level of the 2025–26 NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award, the highest distinction available through the national program. The honor recognizes York's ongoing commitment to character-driven athletics and its success in developing student-athletes who exemplify integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership both in competition and in the community.
Each year, NAIA member institutions submit a core report measuring how effectively they promote these five values across their athletic departments. Schools scoring at least 60 out of 100 points earn the Five-Star Institution Award, with the Gold Level representing the top tier. This year, 203 NAIA institutions received the designation, and York was among those achieving the highest level of recognition.
Director of Athletics Brian Walth attributed the achievement to the deliberate culture built by the university's coaches and student-athletes. He pointed to extensive community volunteer work and a season free of player game suspensions as key factors behind the honor.
"Those things speak to the type of culture we are working to build at York," Walth said. "We want our student-athletes to understand that representing York means more than what happens on the field or court. It is about serving others, making good decisions, and representing our university with character."
Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, York players and coaches participated in numerous service opportunities, putting the Champions of Character values into action beyond the athletic arena. The absence of suspensions further reflected the department's emphasis on sportsmanship, accountability, and responsible conduct.
"Character is something that has to be demonstrated consistently," Walth added. "We are proud of the work our coaches and athletes are doing to make a positive impact in our community. Earning the Gold Level is a great recognition of those efforts and the culture our coaches and student-athletes continue to build."
Institutions are measured on 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.
A link to the schools that earned a perfect 100, reaching the gold level rating, can be found by clicking here.
