FHSU Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State was one of 22 institutions from NCAA Division II selected as a finalist for the 2025 Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade recognizing initiatives in the past year that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership. Four finalists were picked as at-large honorees for submitting a strong nomination not chosen as the finalist for their conference.
Fort Hays State was chosen for the Tigers for IDD Sports and Fitness Night. Fort Hays State student-athletes hosted the events for local Special Olympic athletes through a campus partnership with a Physical Activity for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities class. Over 200 student-athletes, along with students from the class, provided instruction to over 60 Special Olympic athletes. The event aimed to foster inclusion and demonstrate the importance of movement and physical activity. Fort Hays State hosted an event for this in both the spring and fall of 2024.
Division II honors its members each year for conducting events that promote student-athletes giving back and serving as leaders within their communities or on their campuses. A committee of athletics administrators determined this year's finalists, and the national Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee selected the top three finalists, who will be announced at the Division II business session on Jan. 17 at the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Each finalist will receive $750. In addition, the winner will receive $3,000, the first runner-up will receive $1,750 and the second runner-up will receive $1,500. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC initiatives or community engagement events.
Below is the list of finalists for the award.
Academy of Art (Pacific West Conference) - ART U Hoops With the Troops: Now in its fourth year, ART U Hoops With the Troops is a basketball clinic hosted by the Academy of Art men's and women's basketball teams in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Marines during San Francisco Fleet Week, which celebrates America's sea services. The event, held on the USS Tripoli, involved over 160 inner-city youth and included a tour of the ship. The clinic exposed youth to the collegiate student-athlete experience, military life, basketball fundamentals and new career possibilities.
Alabama Huntsville (Gulf South Conference) - Sleep in Heavenly Peace: On a day off during the season, Alabama Huntsville men's and women's basketball teams partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and local volunteers to build beds for local children in need. This was the second consecutive year the teams partnered with the organizations. Participants built a total of 33 beds, surpassing last year's total of 25.
American International (Northeast-10 Conference) - Home Run for the Hungry Campaign: The American International baseball team's annual Home Run for the Hungry campaign collected 4,000 pounds of food and $500 worth of diapers for a local pantry and Square One, which provides a range of family-friendly education and support services. Over seven years, the campaign has donated 15,900 pounds of food, making a significant impact on the greater Springfield, Massachusetts, area.
Arkansas-Monticello (Great American Conference) - SAAC Make-A-Wish text-a-thon: Arkansas-Monticello's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee partnered with Make-A-Wish Mid-South to raise $10,000 through a text-a-thon. Student-athletes sent texts to their contacts asking for $10 donations, and within 10 days, they surpassed their goal of $10,000. The funds will be used to grant a wish for a local child, with the wish day planned for February at a basketball game.
Augusta University (Peach Belt Conference) - Education Day Games: Augusta University student-athletes hosted more than 4,500 fifth graders from the community for annual Education Day Games focused on community, learning and collegiate experiences. The events also included financial literacy education and interactive experiences. The goal was to expose students to college life and introduce them to life as student-athletes.
Caldwell (Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) - Tunnel to Towers: The Caldwell Student-Athlete Advisory Committee presented a check for $1,525 to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation during the annual Super Saturday Basketball Event. The funds were raised through a charity volleyball game involving 38 student-athletes who took on various roles such as players, announcers and officials. The event, attended by around 165 people, included food donations from local restaurants and faculty, with meal tickets sold to raise additional funds. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families and builds specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association - Student-Athlete Empowerment Program: The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Student-Athlete Empowerment Program is focused on developing student-athletes as leaders. Launched during the 2024 CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, the program includes sessions on personal branding, financial fitness, career exploration and leading with impact. It was facilitated by representatives from the NCAA office of inclusion, U.S. Army, Wells Fargo, FBI and Wendy's. The program also featured community engagement activities, such as distributing shoes to those in need. It continued with the CIAA SAAC Summer Summit, which included workshops, panels and discussions on leadership, career readiness, mental health awareness and civic engagement.
Conference Carolinas - Leading the Way — Champions in Body, Mind, and Soul — SAAC Retreat: Conference Carolinas held its annual Student-Athlete Advisory Committee retreat in Greeneville, South Carolina. It included a visit to the Boys & Girls Club, a special dinner event that honored community impacts of campus SAACs, and leadership training sessions. The retreat aimed to develop student-athletes as leaders and included presentations on professional communication, networking and handling interviews. The event also inspired student-athletes to create events on their campuses to help Hurricane Helene victims and organize additional canned food drives.
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - Play4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness Event: The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference hosted the Play4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness event across all campuses, uniting athletes, staff, students and community members to raise awareness and funds in the fight against breast cancer. Named in honor of the late basketball coach Kay Yow, this event celebrated resilience, community support and empowerment for those affected by breast cancer. Each campus held special activities and ceremonies, allowing fans and participants to engage in meaningful ways, from wearing pink gear to participating in halftime recognition ceremonies. The theme "United for a Cure" was central to each campus' approach, creating a visually unified atmosphere with pink decor, custom jerseys and commemorative banners. The event raised significant funds for breast cancer research and awareness initiatives through ticket proceeds, donations and merchandise sales.
Florida Southern (Sunshine State Conference) - Light & Life Park Relief: Florida Southern helped the Light & Life Park senior community recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton. The athletics department logged 792 community engagement hours, assisting with cleanup, debris removal and repairs.
Fort Hays State (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) - Tigers for IDD Sports and Fitness Night: Fort Hays State student-athletes hosted an event for local Special Olympic athletes through a campus partnership with a Physical Activity for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities class. Over 200 student-athletes, along with students from the class, provided instruction to over 60 Special Olympic athletes. The event aimed to foster inclusion and demonstrate the importance of movement and physical activity.
Gannon (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) - PALS Camp: Gannon hosted its PALS Camp in collaboration with the Erie Police Athletic League, providing a chance for underserved youth to build connections with police officers through sports. The camp hosted more than 300 children and included various sporting events, social interactions and educational sessions. The camp aimed to reduce crime, promote positive character development and improve educational outcomes for children.
Mars Hill (South Atlantic Conference) - Hurricane Helene relief: Mars Hill student-athletes played a vital role in helping their campus and surrounding communities with relief efforts after Hurricane Helene. They provided over 200 combined hours of community engagement, including preparing meals, cleaning up from the storm and organizing supplies.
Missouri Southern State (At-large selection) - Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat: The Missouri Southern State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted its annual Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat campaign in October, collecting a record 8,618 nonperishable items for Soul's Harbor, a human services and homeless shelter. Student-athletes spent over 200 hours distributing flyers and collecting donations. The donations helped keep the pantry stocked well into the spring.
Molloy (At-large selection) - Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Campus Walk: Molloy partnered with the Molloy Student Counseling Center and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to hold the Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Campus Walk. Over 100 student-athletes and dozens of other students and staff participated, raising $1,120 to support suicide prevention efforts. The event included resources and giveaways provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Montana State Billings (Great Northwest Athletic Conference) - Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Game: The Montana State Billings men's and women's basketball teams partnered with the MSU Billings Native American Achievement Center to hold their first-ever Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Game. The event aimed to raise awareness and educate the community about the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Montana. The game included a halftime ceremony where participants walked silently carrying photos and mementos of those they wished to honor, and a performance by Native American artist Shakira Glenn. The event promoted community engagement and student-athlete development, fostering a deeper connection between the athletic department and the Native American Achievement Center.
Northwest Nazarene (At-large selection) - All-Abilities Clinics: Northwest Nazarene student-athletes hosted two all-abilities clinics, which served as both a community outreach and an at-home mission trip. Volunteers received education and training on interacting with individuals with intellectual disabilities and on adapted sports. The clinics featured various sports stations, including flag football, cornhole, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and a speed and agility course. Over 120 volunteers participated, assisting athletes throughout the day and ensuring a positive and inclusive environment. The event also included a breakout session for parents and families, where they discussed the challenges and joys of raising children with intellectual disabilities. The clinics aimed to foster inclusion, promote physical activity and provide valuable experience for student-athletes.
Oklahoma Baptist (At-large selection) - Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children: Oklahoma Baptist student-athletes worked with the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children to create relationships with the kids and raise money to renovate living spaces for single moms and their children. Over the summer, the athletics department donated over $3,000 to the organization and hosted a camp attended by 83 children that exposed them to various sports.
Roberts Wesleyan (East Coast Conference) - Pirate Toy Fund: Roberts Wesleyan continued its support of the Pirate Toy Fund, which distributes toys year-round to children in need. Student-athletes contributed more than 300 community engagement hours at distribution events, toy drives and fundraising efforts like benefit games. Their collective efforts included setting up a new warehouse, sorting toys and raising awareness through social media campaigns. The Redhawks' contributions saved the Pirate Toy Fund over $12,000 in billable hours. They collected thousands of toys.
Rockhurst (Great Lakes Valley Conference) - Mental health initiative: Rockhurst student-athletes, led by its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, launched a yearlong mental health awareness initiative that aimed to spread awareness about mental health stigmas and guide people toward resources. Each team had a mental health awareness game where players wore green accessories, the color of mental health awareness. The initiative included starting a chapter of Morgan's Message, which seeks to eliminate mental health stigma in athletics; forming partnerships with the counseling center, sports medicine and athletic performance departments; and creating educational sessions, a social media campaign and a mental health library in the weight room.
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference - Crossover for Change: A group of Colorado School of Mines student-athletes raised money for Crossover for Change, whose mission is fostering confidence, empowerment and leadership for young women in Uganda through the sport of basketball. The student-athletes hosted local basketball camps and 5K races to contribute to the organization's efforts to build basketball courts, hold sports camps and conduct virtual sessions on confidence, nutrition and career goals.
San Francisco State (California Collegiate Athletic Association) - Building Connections: The San Francisco State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's primary goal focused on expanding community engagement efforts across athletics teams to support local groups and communities. The results included each athletics team contributing to the community through various events, charities and community engagement activities. These included youth sports clinics, charity walks for those with intellectual and development disabilities, food distribution for homeless shelters and trash cleanup on a beach.
Southwest Minnesota State (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) - Game Day Roundup: For the second year, Southwest Minnesota State has hosted Game Day Roundup, a community-focused pregame football event that includes inflatables for kids, food trucks, a live DJ, vendor tents and tailgating. It has enhanced relationships with local businesses and the community, creating an atmosphere that encourages Mustangs of all ages to be on campus for home football Saturdays.
Texas Woman's University (Lone Star Conference) - Be the Match: Texas Woman's University student-athletes hosted a campuswide community engagement event in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program, formerly known as Be the Match. The event aimed to register individuals as potential donors for patients with blood cancers and disorders. With the encouragement of Texas Woman's University student-athletes, 217 individuals registered, far surpassing the baseline goal of 100 registrants. The event included personal stories of experiences with transplants, inspiring participants and highlighting the impact of their contributions.
Walsh (Great Midwest Athletic Conference) - The Cavalier Commitment: Walsh student-athletes launched "The Cavalier Commitment" to appreciate and support sports officials. The initiative focused on creating a culture of appreciation, educating the community about officiating and forming partnerships with local high schools and the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Activities included writing thank you cards to officials, hosting educational sessions with officials like longtime NFL and NCAA official Gene Steratore, and promoting officiating through social media and community events.
West Virginia State (Mountain East Conference) - Charleston Public Courts Tennis Tournament: West Virginia State has been leading community engagement through the Charleston Public Courts Tennis Tournament the past three years. The tournament promotes intergenerational interaction and active lifestyles, reinforcing West Virginia State's commitment to community involvement and athletic accessibility. The event, which was revived by the athletics department after being paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, attracted 245 participants across 30 events, with competitors ranging in age from 12 to 83.