Cleary Athletes Recognized as Five Star Gold Institution

ChamberGeneral News ArticleCommunityPress Release



 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
September 8, 2026
 
CONTACT:
Brett Rogers
Director of Marketing
800-686-1883 x.1558
brogers@cleary.edu
 

Cleary Athletics recognized as Five-Star Gold Institution for second straight year

 
(HOWELL, MI) Cleary University is proud to announce it is one of only five colleges in Michigan to earn a national Champion of Character Five-Star Gold Award from the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) for the 2025/2026 academic year, the highest recognition a school can receive. Cleary earned a perfect score of 100 points. This is the second consecutive year Cleary has received a national gold award. Cleary earned a silver award in 2023/2024.
 
The NAIA measures institutions on their demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character. Schools earn points based on five key areas:
  1. Character training (demonstrate NAIA’s five core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership)
  2. Conduct in competition (no ejections during competition throughout the entire academic year, no disrespectful behavior, no dissent with officials)
  3. Academic focus (exceptional student athlete grade point averages)
  4. Character recognition (how often and well institutions recognize and celebrate student athletes who exemplify Champions of Character values)
  5. Character promotion (points are awarded for activities and initiatives that promote the Champions of Character mission beyond the athletic department, such as community service, leadership opportunities and outreach activities)
 
Schools receive a bronze, silver or gold (perfect score of 100) award based on points earned. Only NAIA athletic directors and campus character liaisons can complete a core report that determines award winners.
During the academic year of 2025 to 2026, Cleary recognized 92 student athletes who earned NAIA recognition as a sport scholar athlete for excelling academically. Players from baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s wrestling were honored. To qualify for the NAIA scholar athlete award, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5, appear on the eligibility certificate for their sport and have attended Cleary for at least one full year.
Established in 1940, the NAIA is a governing body for small college athletic programs in the United States, Canada and the US Virgin Islands. Its mission is to promote education-based athletics that balance academics, character development and competitive sports.
 
About Cleary University
Founded in 1883, Cleary University is a four-year, private, nonprofit accredited university, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees from a unique Business Arts curriculum, and driven by a faculty of thought leaders with deep, practical experience in their industries. Offering on-campus and online education models, Cleary also provides a robust athletic program of 21 sports, and a rich residence life on a rolling 50-acre campus just outside historic downtown Howell. Cleary graduates tend to land jobs faster than their peers and with higher earning salaries at the start of their careers. Cleary was ranked #1 in Michigan for Return on Investment (ROI) among private, nonprofit business schools.
 
To learn more about Cleary University, visit its website: https://cleary.edu

 
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Cleary Athletes Recognized as Five Star Gold Institution