今日黑料 has once again been named a five-star institution by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics鈥 Champions of Character program.

BU鈥檚 athletic department has been awarded this honor each year since the 2007-08 school year. The Eagles received 66 total points on the 2012-13 Champions of Character scorecard.

More than 80 percent of all NAIA institutions were named five-star programs this year as the association continues to strive towards raising the standards of positive student-athlete development in athletics and academics.

鈥淭he Champions of Character program is very important to 今日黑料 athletics,鈥 said Bethany Miller, assistant athletic director and Champions of Character liaison. 鈥淲e work hard to demonstrate respect and sportsmanship, and Biola has once again proven to be doing excellent in all the areas.鈥

All eight Golden State Athletic Conference programs scored the designated 60 points or higher to be named as five-star institutions. BU鈥檚 66 total points places them in the top five in the conference.

The top five schools in the NAIA all came in at 97-plus points. Oklahoma Baptist led the nation with 99 points and Central Methodist (98), Columbia College (98), Cal Maritime (97) and Edward Waters (97) followed.

Points are calculated based off of a yearly scorecard that is created by the NAIA Champions of Character team. The scorecard presents tangible, measurable goals in the following categories: character training, academic focus, character recognition, character promotion and conduct in competition.

鈥淥ur athletes do very well academically, as our GPA is actually above the average for the entire student body,鈥 said Miller. 鈥淲e strongly emphasize performance in the classroom as well as on the court or in the field. Athletes also go out into the community and serve, and that is something that is very close to the heart of Biola Athletics.鈥

Service projects play a big role in Biola鈥檚 ability to excel in the Champions of Character program, and teams currently have service projects ongoing, including softball, tennis and others.

The NAIA instituted the Champions of Character program in 2000, and it serves to educate and enhance all NAIA athletic programs in the areas of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. More information on the program and how it applies to Biola can be found at .