College of the Ozarks athletics wins NAIA Champions of Character Award

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks was awarded the Gold Level NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award for 2023-2024. The College’s athletic program was recognized for its commitment to developing character-driven athletes and elevating the NAIA student-athlete experience.

Each year, NAIA level institutions follow the Champions of Character core report to calculate the pursuit of character-driven athletics. The institutions receive points based on character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. Institutions also receive points based on student athlete grade point average and having no ejections during competition throughout the academic year.

The College received points for excelling in the promotion of champions of character on campus and in the community. The program was also recognized for the champions of character training that coaches, student athletes, and staff completed, and servant leadership projects completed within the community. Student athletes excelled in integrity, respect, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

“I am extremely proud of our student athletes and our entire athletic department for being named an NAIA Champion of Character Five Star Gold Institution,” Steve Shepherd, athletic director said. “Through their sport, our student athletes have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in character and academics both in and out of competition.”

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and financial responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2024. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2024 and the Best of the Best and Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.