NCAA Today's Top 10 Award

NCAA Today's Top 10 Award
Name	NCAA Today's Top 10 Award
Awarded for	Recognition of former student-athletes' achievements
Presenter	National Collegiate Athletic Association
Country	United States
First awarded	1973

NCAA Today's Top 10 Award is an annual honor recognizing former student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in athletics, academics, and professional life. Established to celebrate post-collegiate achievement, the award highlights contributions by alumni across multiple sports and institutions, linking athletic accomplishment with careers in fields such as business, law, medicine, and public service. Recipients often include Olympians, professional athletes, coaches, university administrators, and civic leaders.

History

The award was created in 1973 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to recognize the achievements of outstanding former student-athletes from member institutions such as University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California, University of Michigan, and Stanford University. Early recipients included figures associated with institutions like Ohio State University, University of Alabama, University of Texas at Austin, and Penn State University. Over the decades the award has evolved alongside broader NCAA initiatives involving conferences like the Big Ten Conference, Southeastern Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Atlantic Coast Conference. Changes in NCAA governance coincided with notable athletic milestones at events including the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four. The program's name was updated over time to reflect shifting emphases on alumni achievement, parallel to other honors such as the Silver Anniversary Awards, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, and the Academic All-America program.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Eligibility requires prior affiliation with an NCAA member institution including Harvard University, Yale University, Duke University, University of Florida, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nominees are typically former Division I Division II or Division III athletes from sports including basketball, football, track and field, swimming, gymnastics, baseball, soccer, tennis, and wrestling. Selection criteria emphasize accomplishments in athletics as evidenced by participation in competitions such as the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the College World Series, and the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship; professional achievement in organizations like the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer; and community impact reflected in involvement with institutions such as the United Nations, Peace Corps, American Red Cross, and prominent foundations. A selection committee drawn from representatives of member schools, conference administrators, and past honorees—many of whom have ties to entities like ESPN, CBS Sports, ABC Sports, and The New York Times—evaluates nominations. Finalists are announced prior to presentation, with emphasis on integrity, leadership, and contributions to society.

Award Ceremony and Presentation

Presentation of the award is typically held during NCAA championships weekend or at a ceremony hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in coordination with conferences such as the Big 12 Conference and Mountain West Conference. Past ceremonies have coincided with marquee events at venues like Madison Square Garden, Rose Bowl Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, and Staples Center. The award is presented by NCAA officials alongside representatives from prominent universities and occasionally broadcast partners including ESPN, CBS, and NBC Sports. Invitations are extended to inductees who have held positions at institutions such as Michigan State University, University of California, Los Angeles, Texas A&M University, and University of Kentucky. The ceremony often features remarks by presidents of universities, athletic directors, and former recipients affiliated with organizations like the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

List of Recipients

Recipients span a wide range of eras and institutions, including legendary figures associated with University of Southern California, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, Stanford University, University of Florida, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Duke University, University of Texas at Austin, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Honorees have included Olympians who competed at the Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games, professional champions from the National Basketball Association and National Football League, and leaders who served in capacities at Harvard University, Yale University, and major corporations such as Microsoft, Google, and Goldman Sachs. The full roster of winners is maintained by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and includes multiple members of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and national teams from United States national soccer team and United States men's national basketball team.

Notable Winners and Records

Notable winners have included multi-sport athletes and high-profile professionals tied to institutions such as UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma Sooners, and Miami Hurricanes. Recipients with Olympic distinction have represented countries at the Olympic Games and set records in competitions like the World Athletics Championships and the FIVB Volleyball World Championship. Several honorees later achieved recognition in halls of fame including the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Records among recipients track milestones such as multiple honorees from a single institution, repeat representation among conferences like the Big Ten Conference and Pac-12 Conference, and cross-sport achievements by alumni of Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley.

Impact and Legacy

The award reinforces connections between collegiate sports programs at schools such as Duke University, Syracuse University, Wake Forest University, Arizona State University, and Louisiana State University and broader professional networks including Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, World Athletics, and international organizations like Doctors Without Borders. It has influenced alumni engagement, fundraising campaigns at institutions like Columbia University and Brown University, and public recognition programs including campus halls of fame and commemorative events. By highlighting post-collegiate success, the honor has contributed to narratives about athlete transitions to careers in entities such as Bloomberg L.P., The Washington Post, and Harvard Business School, and it remains a distinguished element of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's awards ecosystem.

Category:College sports awards in the United States