Today's Top 10 Award


The Today's Top 10 Award is given each year by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to honor ten outstanding senior student-athletes of the preceding calendar year. The award was previously known by three different names, each reflecting the number of recipients:
Winter/spring sports considered include baseball, basketball, women's beach volleyball, fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, skiing, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, men's volleyball, women's water polo and wrestling. Fall sports considered include cross country, field hockey, football, soccer, women's indoor volleyball and men's water polo.

Current selection criteria

For 2006, the selection criteria were:
  1. The nominee must be a varsity letter-winner.
  2. The nominee must complete intercollegiate eligibility in winter or spring during the 2005-06 academic year to be eligible for the winter/spring award or in fall 2006 to be eligible for the fall award.
  3. The nominee must attend the January 2007 awards celebration.
  4. There is no set male-female ratio. At least one winner will be selected from both Divisions II and III.
  5. Geographical equality is not necessary.
  6. An institution may nominate more than one student-athlete in a sport. However, no more than three Today's Top VIII winners may come from any sport.
  7. There is no limit on winners from one institution.
Other weighted criteria are applied as follows:
Recipients of the Top 10 Award include many notable athletes in the United States and include John Elway, Steve Young, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Doug Flutie, Tiki Barber, Cheryl Miller, Drew Brees, Kendall Coyne and Elena Delle Donne.