UIC's Schmidt Selected for Under Armour AD of the Year Award

CLEVELAND -- University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Athletic Director Jim Schmidt has been chosen for the 2014-15 Under Amour Athletic Director of the Year Award, which was announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) on Tuesday morning. Schmidt is one of 28 award winners across all seven divisions and one of four among the D-I AAA grouping. He will be presented with the award on June 17 in Orlando, Fla., at NACDA's 50th Annual Convention.

"We are extremely proud of the accomplishments from our 20 programs and the student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically," said Schmidt. "I am honored and humbled to be chosen for this great honor. Our excellent coaches, staff and student-athletes from the past and current have made UIC's consistent success possible. I am proud to represent the University of Illinois at Chicago in receiving this special accolade"

Currently in his 20th season as athletic director for UIC, Schmidt's tenure with the Flames has produced the most comprehensive run of athletic and academic success in school history. The longest-serving AD in the Horizon League and a loyal advocate for the student-athlete experience, Schmidt has piloted UIC Athletics onto the national stage through many avenues of accomplishment.

Under Schmidt's watch, UIC has collected 77 conference championships and 48 NCAA appearances. In the 15 years of Division-I status prior to Schmidt's leadership, the Flames had amassed a mere 11 league titles and nine NCAA berths.

Along with athletic success, academics remain a top priority for Schmidt, which is reflected in UIC's 82 percent graduation rate, a figure that far exceeds the national student-body average of 59 percent. Over the last six semesters, Flames' student-athletes have earned an average GPA of 3.0.

Gender equity has been at the forefront of Schmidt's recent agenda with the addition of women's golf and women's soccer, catapulting UIC to 20 varsity programs.

The student-athlete experience has taken tremendous strides forward during Schmidt's term with numerous capital improvement projects. The most notable development was the recent addition of Curtis Granderson Stadium, an award-winning ballpark that resides on UIC's south campus. Schmidt helped secure $5 million from alum and current New York Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson to partially fund the venue, a total that stands as the largest one-time gift from a pro athlete back to their alma mater.

More recently, Schmidt added team rooms for all the UIC sport programs and finalized a capital campaign plan for a $7 million soccer stadium.

Other D-I AAA award recipients include Long Beach State's Vic Cegles, Hofstra's Jeff Hathaway and Creighton's Bruce Rasmussen.

"Since 1998, NACDA has been highlighting the notable contributions made by athletic directors across all divisions of our membership," said NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione. "These 28 winners have been recognized by their peers for their outstanding work on campus, in their community and supporting their student-athletes. We look forward to recognizing their significant achievements at our 50th Anniversary Convention this June."

(Release courtesy UIC athletics media relations)