Awards and Opportunities
SEC
Go Teach – Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway
- Through the SEC and the Football College Playoff, each year, a student-athlete who is pursuing teaching will receive a scholarship.
SEC Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship
- An annual award to recognize outstanding and meritorious academic and athletic achievements of one male and one female student-athlete during the student-athlete’s entire college career.
SEC Brad Davis Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship
- An annual award to recognize the outstanding and meritorious community service achievements of one male and one female student-athlete from each institution during his or her entire college career.
SEC Community Service Team
- The conference names a Community Service Team for each of its 21 league-sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his or her community through superior service efforts.
SEC Leadership Councils
- The goal of the Leadership Council is for the student-athlete representative to serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to:
- Student-Athlete experience.
- Student-Athlete wellness; and
- Provide feedback on proposed rules governing this conference and nationally.
- Representatives will be selected from the following teams/groups
- Women’s Basketball
- Men’s Basketball
- Student-athlete Advisory Committee
UGA
UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors
- Each year, two student-athletes are selected to serve as representatives on the board.
Sphinx Society
- Recognized as UGA’s highest student honor.
Leadership Dawgs Alumni Program
- Leadership Dawgs is a 12-month alumni program bookended by two in-person weekend meetings that engage participants in active leadership development.
- UGA Blue Key recognizes second, third and fourth-year undergraduate students, as well as graduate and professional students of outstanding character and ability who have achieved distinction in three key areas: scholarship, leadership, and service.
Student Affairs Advisory Board
- The mission is to serve as advisors and liaisons concerning student engagement in the departments and units reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The board typically meets monthly during the academic year.
- Academic Achievement: Presented to student-athletes who have exhibited intense focus and/or displayed a marked improvement in the classroom over the course of the past academic year.
- Faculty Athletics Representative Awards: These awards are presented to the Men’s and Women’s teams with the highest team GPA for the academic year.
- Scholar Athletes: These awards are presented to student-athletes from each team who had the highest GPA at the conclusion of the last academic year.
- Marilyn Vincent: It recognizes the senior female athlete who is graduating with the highest GPA.
- Dick Bestwick: It recognizes the senior male who is graduating with the highest GPA.
- Joel Eaves: This award is presented to the male and female seniors that have the highest GPA entering the fall semester.
- Dick Copas Leadership: This award is given annually to a male student-athlete who is an outstanding leader. The Dick Copas Award was named in 1999 to honor the first athletic academic counselor at the University of Georgia.
- Clifford Lewis Leadership: The winner of this award embodies dedication, motivation, discipline, and a positive attitude. She seeks the good of the group above personal gain.
- Hornsby Howell Community Service: a self-nominated award presented to a student-athlete who has contributed a significant amount of time to the campus and community as a volunteer.
- DEI Award: This award is given to a male and female athlete who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our athletic community.
- Male UGA Sportsmanship-Ethics and Female UGA Sportsmanship-Ethics: These awards are given to a male and a female athlete who are guided by the principles of ethical behavior and sportsmanship. They will acquire the knowledge that enables them to live their lives as citizens of sterling character.
- UGA Inspiration Award: The UGA Inspiration Award honors a student-athlete who exemplifies perseverance, dedication, and determination.
- Bulldog Cup Award: recognizes the team that excels academically, supports their peers in athletic competition and consistently serves the community.
- Vince Dooley Male Athlete of the Year and Liz Murphey Female Athlete of the Year: given to a male and female student-athlete for uncommon achievement in his or her varsity sport; who brings national and/or international recognition to the individual, team, and University; and who exemplifies the standards of “The Georgia Way.”
National
- Presented to one male and one female collegiate who have made the greatest difference in the lives of others. The recipients are athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and people.
- Honors athletes and community leaders that hold the same values as Scouting.
- Honors students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field.
John McClendon Minority Scholarship
- Offers eight (8) $10,000 postgraduate scholarships to minority candidates planning to pursue a master’s degree in athletics administration/sport management.
Diverse Rising Graduate Scholars
- Identifies 10 exceptional graduate students based on their standout scholarship thus far and their trajectory toward a promising future in academia and beyond.
N4A – Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award
- Honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics.
National Student-Athlete Day Giant Steps
- Honorees are chosen in conjunction with National STUDENT-Athlete Day. These national awards are given in the categories of courageous student-athletes, coaches, barrier breakers, civic leaders, and heroes among us.
NCAA
- These individuals are selected based on their leadership involvement and their personal statement describing how they hope to benefit from the Forum.
- The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.
NCAA Jim McKay Graduate Scholarship
- One male and one female student or student-athlete will be awarded a one-time $10,000 Jim McKay scholarship in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and their potential to make a major contribution to the sports communication industry or public relations.
NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship
- One male and one female student-athlete are awarded a $24,000 Walter Byers scholarship in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and potential for success in graduate study.
NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement
- Awards $10,000 to 13 ethnic minorities and 13 female college graduates who will be entering their initial year of graduate studies. The applicant must be seeking admission or have been accepted into a sports administration or program that will help the applicant obtain a career in intercollegiate athletics, such as athletics administrator, coach, athletic trainer or a career that provides a direct service to intercollegiate athletics.
- Presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishment.
- Recognize six distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the end of their intercollegiate athletics eligibility.
- Presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letter-winner at an NCAA institution who, when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery.
- Presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letter-winner at an NCAA institution who, when confronted with a life-altering situation used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the event and most importantly, now serves as a role model to give hope and inspiration to others in similar situations.
- Honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes
- Recognizes a coach, administrator or staff member (past or present) who possesses a demonstrated history of sportsmanship.
- Recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior
- Honors 10 outstanding senior student-athletes of the preceding academic year that are selected on their athletics ability, academic achievement, character, leadership, and activities.
Other Opportunities
- Power packed experience for black student-athletes and influencers in the world of college sports.
- The NIL Summit was born of the idea of giving student-athletes from across the nation a platform to converge on as a community of influencers and change agents, to share ideas and collaborate alongside the transformative brands and organizations shaping the future of college sports.
Women Leaders in College Sports
- Engage in this professional and personal growth opportunity for those interested in careers in sport.
- The aim of the Above the Rim Summit is to provide education and career development support to women’s basketball student-athletes.