KANSAS City, Mo. - Goshen College was awarded the Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Silver Award on Tuesday for the 2024-25 school year from the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

Goshen continues to be among eight schools recognized as Champions of Character Institutions (2002-09) and Champions of Character Five Star Institutions (2010-25) every year since the award's inception.  Taylor University is the only other Crossroads League institution that has met the criteria in all 23 years since the program began. The Crossroads League is the only conference with more than one on the list.

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.

23-Time Champions of Character Institutions

• Blue Mountain Christian University (Mississippi) – Southern States Athletic Conference
• Briar Cliff University (Iowa) – Great Plains Athletic Conference
• Goshen College – Crossroads League
• Indiana Tech – Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
• John Brown University (Arkansas) – Sooner Athletic Conference
• MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kansas) – Heart of America Athletic Conference
• Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois) – Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
• Taylor University (Indiana) – Crossroads League

In addition, the Crossroads League was named a Champions of Character Five-Star Conference based on the results of its ten member institutions. To be recognized, a conference must have established a Champions of Character conference committee and a conduct in competition oversight committee consisting of at least three members. In addition, at least 60% of the league's schools must receive the Champions of Character Five-Star Institution award.

The five core values of the Champions of Character initiative are integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership to help student-athletes, coaches and parents do the right thing on and off the field. 210 member institutions were named Five-Star Award winners at any level (gold, silver and bronze) - one more than the year prior and 39 more from the 2022-23 school year.