NAIA announces 2006-07 Champions of Character Institutions

130 member institutions actively participate in and promote program

Posted on 10.31.07

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) named 130 colleges and universities to the list of Champions of Character institutions for the 2006-07 school year. The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives Rob Miller. These schools incorporate the five core values in the campus community and educate student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans on specific standards and expectations.

“The Champions of Character program is a game plan dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics,” said Miller. “The philosophy and approach to sport is a fundamental distinction gaining traction throughout the United States and Canada. Successful teams are built on a solid foundation and hundreds of competitive programs see the value in the NAIA and the Champions of Character model.”

To learn more about the NAIA and Champions of Character visit www.naia.org.

Members recognized by the NAIA as Champions of Character institutions include:

Alice Lloyd College (Ky.)
Aquinas College (Mich.)
Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.)
Avila University (Mo.)
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
Baker University (Kan.)
Belhaven College (Miss.)
Benedictine College (Kan.)
Berry College (Ga.)
Bethel College (Ind.)
Bethel College (Kan.)
Black Hills State University (S.D.)
Blue Mountain College (Miss.)
Bluefield College (Va.)
Brenau University (Ga.)
Brewton-Parker College (Ga.)
Briar Cliff University (Iowa)
University of British Columbia
California Baptist University
Campbellsville University (Ky.)
Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.)
Carlow University (Pa.)
Carroll College (Mont.)
Cascade College (Ore.)
Cedarville University (Ohio)
Central Christian College (Kan.)
Central Methodist University (Mo.)
Columbia College (Mo.)
Columbia College (S.C.)
Concordia University (Calif.)
Concordia University (Mich.)
Concordia University (Neb.)
Concordia University (Ore.)
Corban College (Ore.)
Cornerstone University (Mich.)
Cumberland University (Tenn.)
University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
Dakota State University (S.D.)
Davenport University (Mich.)
Dickinson State University (N.D.)
Edward Waters College (Fla.)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
Evangel University (Mo.)
Faulkner University (Ala.)
Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.)
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)
Friends University (Kan.)
Georgetown College (Ky.)
Goshen College (Ind.)
Graceland University (Iowa)
Hastings College (Neb.)
Holy Names University (Calif.)
Houghton College (N.Y.)
Huston-Tillotson University (Texas)
The College of Idaho
University of Illinois Springfield
Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana University Southeast
Indiana Wesleyan University
Iowa Wesleyan College
Jamestown College (N.D.)
Jarvis Christian College (Texas)
John Brown University (Ark.)
Lambuth University (Tenn.)
Lee University (Tenn.)
Lindenwood University (Mo.)
Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
Lyon College (Ark.)
University of Maine at Fort Kent
University of Maine at Machais
Malone College (Ohio)
Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
The Master’s College (Calif.)
McKendree University (Ill.)
Menlo College (Calif.)
Mid-America Christian University (Okla.)
MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.)
Midland Lutheran College (Neb.)
Milligan College (Tenn.)
Mills College (Calif.)
Minot State University (N.D.)
Missouri Valley College
Morningside College (Iowa)
Morris College (S.C.)
Mount Marty College (S.D.)
Mount Mercy College (Iowa)
Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio)
Mountain State University (W.Va.)
Northwest Christian College (Ore.)
Northwest University (Wash.)
Northwestern College (Iowa)
Northwood University (Fla.)
Ohio Dominican University
Oklahoma Christian University
Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)
Oregon Institute of Technology
Ottawa University (Kan.)
College of the Ozarks (Mo.)
Park University (Mo.)
Patten University (Calif.)
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
Point Park University (Pa.)
Purdue University North Central (Ind.)
University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.)
Rocky Mountain College (Mont.)
Saint Ambrose University (Iowa)
University of Saint Francis (Ind.)
College of St. Mary (Neb.)
University of Saint Thomas (Texas)

Saint Xavier University (Ill.)

Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.)

Siena Heights University (Mich.)

Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)

Southern Oregon Universityz

Southern Wesleyan University (S.C.)

College of the Southwest (N.M.)

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (Texas)

Southwestern College (Kan.)

Spring Hill College (Ala.)

Taylor University (Ind.)
University of Texas at Brownsville
Texas Wesleyan University
Trinity Christian College (Ill.)
Trinity International University (Ill.)
Union College (Ky.)
Union University (Tenn.)
Ursuline College (Ohio)
Valley City State University (N.D.)
Vanguard University (Calif.)
Walsh University (Ohio)
Warner Pacific College (Ore.)
Warner Southern College (Fla.)
Wayland Baptist University (Texas)
Webber International University (Fla.)
Wiley College (Texas)
William Jewell College (Mo.)
William Penn University (Iowa)
William Woods University (Mo.)

For links to individual schools click here.

-NAIA-

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.

Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the association’s innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves.