AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta University Athletics has been selected as one of 25 finalists for the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Award of Excellence. The NCAA Division II Award of Excellence is an accolade recognizing initiatives in the past year that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement, and student-athlete leadership.
Augusta was recognized for its partnership with the Georgia Cancer Center in the 'Here to win' campaign for innovation, discovery, and hope in the Augusta Community.
Georgia has a disproportionate number of cancer diagnoses with poor outcomes but through its dedication to serving minority and underserved populations, the Georgia Cancer Center is the state leader in making progress to change this statistic by providing industry-leading cancer research and care that benefits patients locally and globally. When it comes to bringing home victory for Augusta University's various athletics programs, teamwork defines success on the field of competition. Together, cancer researchers and Augusta University student-athletes are "Here to win" when it comes to bringing awareness to cancer prevention and early detection.
To kick off the "Here to win" campaign, Augusta University's women's volleyball team hosted their "Pink Out" Match on Friday, October 6 inside Christenberry Fieldhouse. Prior to the game, the team presented $1,600 to the Georgia Cancer Center. Each volleyball team member raised money to bring awareness to cancer prevention and early detection.
Each Augusta University Athletics team will follow suit and take an active role in the campaign. In addition to visiting the Georgia Cancer Center, each team will host a Cancer Awareness Game which will serve as a platform to share information about the importance of early detection, prevention, and different cancer screening opportunities with fans attending the games/matches. The Georgia Cancer Center will be on hand at each event to share information about those topics during in-game announcements, as well as set up an education information table in a high-traffic area to connect with as many fans as possible.
Augusta is the official winner of the Division II Award of Excellence for the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) resulting in its status as a national finalist.
The winner, runner-up, and third-place honoree for the 2024 Division II Award of Excellence will be announced on January 13 during the Division II business session at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.
For being named a finalist, Augusta will receive $500. The winner will receive $2,500, the first runner-up will receive $1,250 and the second runner-up will receive $1,000. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC initiatives or community engagement events.