Rockhurst University has been named as one of 28 finalists for the 2022 Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade recognizing initiatives in the past year that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership.

Rockhurst's submission was for the "Alumni Night at the Ball Game." In response to not having fans inside stadiums due to COVID-19 restrictions, Rockhurst connected with fans through its virtual Alumni Night at the Ball Game. Rockhurst ran a Twitter contest, allowed fans to purchase fan cutouts to fill the seats and hosted a virtual bingo game. Each event awarded winners with Rockhurst gear and connected Rockhurst with its fan base.

"We are honored to be the GLVC selection for this NCAA Award of Excellence," said Rockhurst Director of Athletics Kristy Bayer. "I am proud of the athletics and advancement staff for being creative during COVID. We were able to engage our fan base virtually and stay connected with our Rockhurst community."

"Alumni Night at the Ballgame is one of our signature alumni engagement programs we host every year on campus," said Brent Blazek, RU Senior Director of Alumni and Donor Relations. "Our team always look forward to providing a fun evening of entertainment and Rockhurst basketball for our alumni and their families in Kansas City. While we would have loved to have been in-person in 2021, we were still glad we were able to host this event virtually, and especially grateful for the Medina family for their continued participation and support of the event."

Division II honors its members each year for conducting events that promote student-athletes giving back and serving as leaders within their communities or on their campuses. A committee of athletics administrators determined this year's finalists, and the national Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee selects the winner, who will be announced at the Division II business session January 22 at the 2022 NCAA Convention.

Each finalist will receive $500. In addition, 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.