Research shows that being an NCAA student-athlete contributes to a successful life, and the NCAA has identified 100 case studies to help prove the point. As the Association marks its 100th anniversary this year with an ongoing Centennial celebration, its membership also is recognizing 100 former student-athletes who have been the most influential both in and out of competition.

American presidents and politicians are listed alongside sports heroes and entertainers, proving that student-athletes are not just about sports. The values and work ethic instilled in many of the honorees transcends athletics.

The list of the Top 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes was compiled by a membership panel
consisting of university presidents, athletics administrators, faculty members and current student-athletes. Each person on the list was evaluated and discussed — often debated. Selections also were reviewed by another panel charged with choosing the Top 25 Defining Moments of the Association.

University of Indianapolis Athletics Director Sue Willey chaired the Top 100 group, while Alfreeda Goff, a senior associate commissioner at the Horizon League, led the Defining Moments committee.

John Johnson, NCAA director of promotions and events, said he was pleased with the committees’ work, particularly given the tight time frame in which they had to complete their tasks. The groups began deliberating last summer and finalized both lists by early fall.

"The members spent considerable time weighing the nominations and making decisions," he said. "They took it seriously."

Willey said the subject matter made it easy for members to be engaged.

"The folks we considered were just outstanding individuals. It was satisfying to be part of that process," she said. "Everyone was engaged because we wanted to do the best possible job we could, knowing full well that it’s impossible to satisfy everyone."

Committee members used a selection process that combined two long-standing methods of choosing award winners. Johnson called it a hybrid of the Honors Committee’s work and the Woman of the Year selection and ranking process. Members used established practices to choose the people who belonged on the list and then rank them.

Since the publication of the list earlier this year, the media and the public — often through blogs — have criticized the rankings and questioned why various people were not included. Many, though, have been impressed with the teaching value of the list, pointing out that many people probably don’t know the athletics background of some of the honorees.

The criticisms were expected, Willey said. According to her, putting the list in any kind of order was something many committee members resisted.

"As with most rankings, people will always argue and debate them. We understand that’s part of the process," she said.

Willey’s committee tried to work with smaller groups of nominees at first, and members did a lot of what she called "flipping and flopping." However, she said the group’s general belief was that whether a person was first or 91st didn’t matter as much as simply being being considered one of the most influential student-athletes of the last 100 years.

Earlier this year, ESPN Classic aired two hour-long programs with vignettes about each person on the list, often including old sports footage or pictures of the person in their school’s uniform. Narrated by Rece Davis, the programs include sometimes obscure information about well-known people. For example, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright participated in swimming and diving at Wellesley College, and Benjamin Spock was a member of the rowing team at Yale University.

Many honorees are recipients of the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award, the Association’s highest honor bestowed upon an individual.

The programs will be re-aired on ESPN Classic and ESPNU later this year. Johnson said that ESPN officials liked not only the symmetry of the list with the NCAA Centennial, but also the unique approach the Association took toward making the list — emphasizing the person’s impact beyond athletics.

"Most people’s first inclination would be to rank people based on excellence in a particular sport, but that’s what makes this NCAA ranking different. We were looking to be more holistic with this particular project," Johnson said. "The stories speak for themselves. While the honorees’ athletics achievements may have been great, what they did beyond the fields and courts was equally or more important to society."