Student-Athlete Handbook - Section 7
Student-Athlete Awards
VARSITY AWARDS | THE OSKEES | STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATION BREAKFAST
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AWARD | BIG TEN AWARDS | NATIONAL AWARDS
Varsity awards are given as follows:
- First letter - Wool Letter Jacket
- Awarded to all first-year eligible student-athletes/student managers (non-redshirts).
- Second letter - Letter Blanket
- Awarded only to second-year eligible student-athletes who meet criteria established by Head Coach.
- Third letter – Leather Portfolio
- Awarded only to third-year eligible student-athletes who meet criteria established by Head Coach.
- Fourth letter - Varsity Ring or Framed Jersey
- Awarded to final-year eligible student-athletes/student managers who are seniors.
A certificate shall be presented to multi-sport student-athletes earning more than one award per academic year.
Award Requirements:
- The student-athletes must represent themselves, their sport, DIA and the University in a credible and complimentary manner;
- Student-athletes must adhere to all University, program and team rules and regulations;
- Student-athletes must demonstrate a genuine interest in and dedication to amateur athletics and the sport in which they are participating;
- Student-athletes must maintain academic eligibility throughout the semester(s) of their regular competitive season; and
- Student-athletes must be making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
Process for recommending and awarding varsity awards:
All final recommendations for varsity awards shall be made by the Sport Administrator, based on the following guidelines:
- The head coach of the given sport in which the student-athlete has engaged must make the initial recommendation for award consideration.
- A coach may recommend an award be granted to a student-athlete whose potential for achieving a letter award has been interrupted for reasons of injury or illness. Such a recommendation by a coach must be accompanied by strong supportive evidence.
- Transfer students shall be awarded the first letter award at the conclusion of their first season. A fourth letter award may be granted to student-athletes that transfer in during their last year of eligibility.
- The head coach shall submit a list of all those student-athletes who in the coach’s opinion meet DIA’s requirements to receive such awards (listed above). If a head coach recommends that a student-athlete has not met the requirements for an athletic award, that coach should submit the reasons substantiating this decision. Reasons for not meeting requirements may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Violation of University’s Student Code
- Violation of Student-Athlete Code of Conduct
- Multiple positive drug tests
- Suspension from team activities
- Poor sportsmanship
The Oskees
Every year a banquet will be held to honor our student-athletes and teams for their success. Awards presented at the banquet include:
- Fighting Illini Newcomer Award
- Fighting Illini Spirit Award
- Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award
- Outstanding Team GPA Award
- Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year Award
- Big Ten Medal of Honor Award
- Illini Student-Athlete Development Team Competition Award
- Illini Leadership Academy-Leader of Distinction Award
- Illini Leadership Academy-Leader of Merit Award
- Varsity Award First Letter
Student-Athlete Graduation Breakfast
Annual event held the morning of the University Commencement to honor our graduating seniors.
DIA Academic Services presents this award to student-athletes who have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher and who have had a noteworthy athletic performance in their respective sport.
Big Ten Awards
Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award
Award given as an annual scholarship of $5,000 recognizing one male and one female Big Ten senior student-athlete pursuing a postgraduate degree for achievements in academics, athletics, civil service, and leadership. Each Big Ten institution may nominate one male and one female student-athlete.
Big Ten Postgraduate Award
Each Big Ten institution will annually present two student-athletes (one male and one female) with one- time postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each. The applicants will be evaluated based primarily on their achievements in academics.
Academic All-Big Ten
Awarded each season to letter winners with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better who are in at least their second year of attendance at their institution.
National Awards
Chi Alpha Sigma
Juniors and seniors who have earned a varsity letter and have a 3.4 or higher cumulative GPA are eligible.
Arthur Ashe Junior Sports Scholars Award
Award recognizes contributions of student-athletes of color who have completed one full academic year, have a GPA of 3.2 or better, and are active in community service.
Division I Degree Completion Award
Student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility for institutional financial aid (in five years) and are within 30 semester hours of completing their degree requirements may apply. Full-time students receive grants equal to a full athletics grant at the institution; part-time students receive tuition and an allowance for books.
The Freedom Forum-NCAA Foundation Sports-Journalism Scholarship
Eight $3,000 scholarships are awarded to college juniors pursuing careers in sports journalism and majoring in journalism, or who have experience in campus sports journalism. The scholarship is designed to foster freedoms of speech and press while promoting quality sports journalism education at the collegiate level.
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American Teams
In order to be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve with at least a 3.20 GPA. Students are eligible only after reaching sophomore level in both athletic and academic standing. Junior college transfers are eligible after one academic year.
Jim McKay Scholarship
Annually awards a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship to one male and one female student-athlete in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement and potential to contribute to the sports communications industry. Eligible recipients must have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.5 or better.
NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women Enhancement Post Graduate Scholarships for Careers in Athletics
Twenty-six $6,000 scholarships (13 for ethnic minorities and 13 for women) are available annually to college graduates who will be entering the first semester of their initial postgraduate studies.
NCAA Honors Program
- The Theodore Roosevelt Award recognizes former varsity letter winners in college who have become citizens of national recognition and of outstanding accomplishment.
- The Today’s Top 10 Awards honor 10 outstanding senior student-athletes with a varsity letter.
- The Silver Anniversary Award recognizes six distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of their graduation.
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program
The NCAA awards 174 postgraduate scholarships annually to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically and who are in their final year of athletic eligibility. Their institution nominates student-athletes.
NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Award
This award recognizes and encourages excellence in academic performance by senior student-athletes. Recipients of the award must have a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale), demonstrate evidence of superior character and leadership and show that participation in athletics has been a positive influence on their personal and intellectual development.
