Loyola New Orleans receives Champions of Character Gold status

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced its Champions of Character Five-Star Institutions for the 2024-25 academic year on Monday, and the Loyola University New Orleans Athletics Department earned the highest distinction – Gold. 
 

It's the 17th straight year Loyola has been honored as a Champions of Character Five-Star Institution, and it's the 10th straight year earning at least Silver status. The announcement of Gold marked the fourth time in department history, also reaching the highest honor during the 2016-17, 2019-20 and 2022-23 academic years.  
 

"Athletics at Loyola is about shaping the whole person," Assistant Vice President of Athletics Brett Simpson said. "Not just who you are on the field or court, but who you become in the community. Achieving Gold status reflects our student-athletes' dedication to excellence in all areas and our commitment to the Jesuit values that guide our University."
 

This recognition represents a full measure of the NAIA's five core values—respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership—reflected through excellence in character training, academic focus, conduct in competition, character promotion, and recognition
 

To earn Gold level status, institutions must score between 90 and 100 total points on the NAIA Champions of Character Scorecard, which is evaluated across five dimensions: Character Training, Academic Focus, Character Recognition, Character Promotion and Conduct in Competition. Loyola excelled in each category, demonstrating outstanding behavior both on and off the field, including superior academic performance and minimal disciplinary incidents
 

This honor underscores Loyola's holistic approach to athletics, where faculty, coaches, and support staff work collaboratively to foster environments where student-athletes thrive academically and ethically. As part of its mission, Loyola emphasizes servant leadership and community engagement alongside competitive success.
 

The NAIA Champions of Character® program encourages athletic communities to adopt and elevate behaviors that reflect integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Institutions that demonstrate commitment across all five core areas are designated as Five-Star members, with Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels reflecting their total score. 
 

The Champions of Character levels include Gold (90-100 points), Silver (75-89) and Bronze (60-74). 
 

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