Calumet College of St. Joseph athletics are gold
CCSJ recognized for character-driven athletics
On July 28, Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) was named a Gold Champions of Character Five-Star Institution by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for the 2024-2025 school year.
This is the first time in CCSJ’s history to be recognized at the gold level. Two hundred and nine other institutions were honored with the Five-Star Award in either the gold, silver, or bronze categories. Crimson Wave Athletic teams earned this honor through their volunteerism on and off campus, grade point averages and character, and sportsmanship during competitions.
“One of our goals as a department every year is to earn gold status, and I am proud of our coaches and athletes for accomplishing this for the first time,” Athletic Director David Lopez says. “We have been a bronze- or silver-level institution in the past, so earning this level for the first time says a lot about the hard work we have all put in.”
This honor recognizes an institution’s ability to strive for character-driven athletics, while upholding the five core values of the NAIA: integrity, respect, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship. Institutions earn points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion. Institutions also earned points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages and by having minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the course of the academic year.
“Being a Champions of Character school has always been a priority and speaks to who we are as an institution and our mission, but being at the gold level speaks to who our students and coaches are as individuals,” says Dr. Amy McCormack, president of CCSJ. “This award highlights the commitment we have to one another, to student development, and to our communities. This is an honor for Calumet College of St. Joseph, and I am not only proud of our athletic department, but also our student athletes’ dedication, compassion, and service.”
This gold-level recognition comes on the heels of the Crimson Wave’s back-to-back championships in the Midwest Sprint Football League, winning in fall of 2023 and 2024. In November, CCSJ played Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in the championship game for the third year in a row. After losing in the championship game two years ago, the Crimson Wave has now beaten the Pomeroys in two consecutive title games, making history by being the first and only team in MSFL to win two championships.
At the time of the win, Head Coach Jay Novak said, “It’s an amazing feeling to come out, execute, and reach our ultimate goal. We came here a couple of weeks ago, and those guys handed it to us. They are a great football team. For our guys to rally up and do a fantastic job on special teams, defense, and offense today, I can’t commend the coaching staff and players enough. They did a wonderful job all season long.”
Calumet College of St. Joseph is excited to have not only great athletes and incredible coaches, but to also have students and staff who value service and making a positive impact both on the field and in the community. During the year, the Crimson Wave athletes and staff can be found reading to school children, cleaning up after community festivals, and supporting local businesses. Their dedication to their athleticism and education, paired with their dedication to giving back to the community, is what makes Calumet College of St. Joseph’s Athletic Department true Champions of Character.