KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Goshen College is one of 180 NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institutions for the 2019-20 academic year, the NAIA national office has announced.

NAIA institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to the Champions of Character initiative and earn points based on character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion. Schools also earn points based on exceptional student-athlete grade-point averages and by having minimal ejections during competition throughout the course of an academic year.

The Champions of Character scorecard determines the Five-Star Champions of Character status of each institution, with a score of at least 60 out of 100 required to claim that credit at one of three levels. Goshen came in among the Silver tier, an upgrade from last year's Bronze honor. 

Goshen continues to be among 14 schools that have been recognized as Champions of Character Institutions (2002-09) and Champions of Character Five Star Institutions (2010-20) every year since the inception of the award.  Taylor University is the only other Crossroads League institution who has met the criteria in all 17 years since the program began.

The Crossroads League was also named a Five-Star Champions of Character Conference, with nine of the league's 10 schools falling into the three tiers of categorization. For a conference to be recognized, three-fifths of the schools must be honored. Sixteen of the NAIA's 21 conferences were Champions of Character Conferences.

Eighteen-Time Champions of Character Institutions
Blue Mountain College (Mississippi)
Briar Cliff University (Iowa)
Central Methodist University (Missouri)
College of the Ozarks (Missouri)
Goshen College
Indiana Tech
John Brown University (Arkansas)
Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky)
MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kansas)
Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois)
Park University (Missouri)
University of Rio Grande (Ohio)
Taylor University (Indiana)
Wayland Baptist University (Texas)