The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, created in 2001 to honor college basketball seniors, will expand to include Division I men’s hockey beginning in 2007. The award program will also feature three other new sports for the current academic school year: baseball, softball, and lacrosse.
In addition to the core requirement that the candidate be a NCAA Division I senior, the finalists and eventual winner will be selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student athlete. These areas of excellence are defined under the categories of Classroom, Character, Community and Competition:
Classroom — academic achievements and successfully progressing towards earning a degree.
Character — attributes that define the candidate’s personal character, including leadership, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, work ethic and integrity.
Community — involvement in community and charity activities, utilizing the candidate’s status as a college athlete to make an impact in worthwhile causes.
Competition — achievements within the athlete’s respective sport and their role in the success of the team.
Lowe’s, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, is in its first full year as title sponsor of the Senior CLASS Award and, according to the company, has launched this expansion to encompass a broader spectrum of sports and student athletes.
Ten finalists for each award will be chosen by a selection committee and those names will appear on the official ballot. The winner will be selected by a nationwide voting system that includes media, coaches, fans and sponsors. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award will be presented to each winner during the NCAA Championships for each sport.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award has honored college basketball seniors each year since the 2001-02 season. Sportscaster Dick Enberg conceived the original idea for the award and still serves as honorary chairman.
