Raiders owner Al Davis made “Just win, baby” a famous rallying cry in the NFL. Some people assume that motto applies to college sports, too. And while winning is absolutely part of what we do at the University of Illinois Springfield — and yes, we enjoy it tremendously — it isn’t our only goal. In fact, it might not even be the most important one.
Don’t get me wrong: We want to win, and we celebrate when we do. Victories add energy and excitement to the student-athlete experience. This season, we’ve had plenty to celebrate. Our men’s basketball team opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a 4–0 start, sitting atop the league standings for nearly a month before GLVC action resumes Jan. 2. We also cheered this fall when Elaine Grant captured our home women’s golf title, when Maddie Miller-Ross finished 10th at the NCAA Midwest Cross Country Regional to qualify for nationals and when Kai Van-Roon claimed the Flight C tennis championship at the ITA Regional.
Programs win when they recruit exceptional student-athletes, develop them and create an experience that bonds a team together. That’s the first pillar of how we measure success at UIS.
The second is academic excellence. After 18 months on the job, I’m grateful to have inherited a program with a strong academic culture. Prairie Star student-athletes have earned an average GPA of 3.55 or higher in each of the past three semesters. Our NCAA Academic Success Rate — which tracks graduation rates for both first-year and transfer student-athletes — has topped 90 percent two years running. That performance earned UIS the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Excellence, an honor given to only 43 institutions nationwide. We were one of just six public universities to receive the recognition.
The third pillar is community connection. Athletics has a unique ability to bridge the university and the broader community. A vibrant summer camp program, strong service initiatives, intentional outreach and rising attendance all help deepen that relationship.
In my time here, I’ve been continually impressed by our student-athletes. They’re outstanding role models — especially for young athletes in central Illinois. NCAA Division II competition represents the highest level of sport played regularly in Springfield outside of special events like the Memorial Health Championship golf tournament. We love seeing youth volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and tennis players come watch our teams, meet our student-athletes and discover that these competitors are not just talented — they’re terrific people. That kind of access is one of the gifts of Division II athletics.
Our programs also engage in meaningful service. Each UIS team “adopts” an area elementary school, visiting classrooms and inviting students to home games. We partner with community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois and Compass for Kids, using our platform to elevate their missions to fans, alumni and the campus community. This fall, our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted two service days focused on making peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for Springfield residents in need. Demand was higher than in previous years, and our student-athletes didn’t hesitate — they not only made the sandwiches but included hand-written, encouraging notes with each one.
Our roster reflects the diversity of the UIS student body: About 15 percent of our student-athletes come from other countries, another 15 percent come from out of state and the remaining 70 percent hail from Illinois. Each brings pride to our program and carries the UIS name into their communities.
And, we are expanding opportunities for female student-athletes with the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport, beginning in the spring of 2027. It’s fun to be at the front end of this emerging sport!
I see the work of our student-athletes every day, and I couldn’t be prouder — on the field, in the classroom and throughout Springfield. But we can always do more. So I invite you to join us: Come out to a game, cheer for the Prairie Stars or reach out with a community partnership idea. Together, we can continue to make Springfield a place where UIS students and student-athletes feel supported, connected and inspired.
Mike Hermann is the director of athletics at the University of Illinois Springfield.
