Kansas City, Mo. – University of Pikeville Athletics has been named an NAIA Five Star Institution following the 2021-22 academic year. The Bears reached the highest tier of the Five-Star winners, claiming the gold tier.

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.

Only 28 institutions named Five-Star status earned a perfect score of 100, and UPIKE was the only Mid-South Conference school to do so. Six schools from the MSC received Gold status (Bethel, Campbellsville, Cumberland, Freed-Hardeman, University of Tennessee Southern), while Lindsey Wilson was named Five-Star Bronze status.

In order to qualify as a five star institution, an athletics department must score 60 or more points according to the Champions of Character scorecard outlined below.  
 

SCORECARD
67%	Character Training	NAIA Institutions earn up to 67 points for Champions of Character training and development on campus and through community outreach activities.
8%	Academic Focus	NAIA Institutions earn up to 8 points for overall student-athlete GPA.
17%	Character Recognition	NAIA Institutions earn up to 17 points by nominating deserving individuals, coaches and teams for national awards and having presidential participation in Champions of Character functions.
8%	Character Promotion	NAIA Institutions earn up to 6 points for having a webpage dedicated to Champions of Character on their athletic website and Champions of Character banners.
100%	Score 60% & above	All institutions scoring 60 or more total points will be named Five Star Champions of Character Institutions.
40%	Conduct in Competition	NAIA Institutions keep points for demonstrating Champions of Character values on the field of competition as measured by the number of ejections specific to profanity, fighting, and dissent towards an official.  Points may also be deducted for institutions on probation or suspension status.

 
The Bears claim Gold status for the fourth straight season, and the department has been a Five-Star Institution for six straight years.