The Atlantic Coast Conference faculty athletics representatives have established the Kay Yow Scholar-Athlete Award to annually honor the conference’s top women’s basketball student-athlete.

Yow, women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State, died January 24 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Part of the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, the Kay Yow Award joins four others named in honor of an individual. The Jim Tatum Award honors football student-athletes, the Skip Prosser Award honors men’s basketball student-athletes and the Rod Myers Award honors men’s golf student-athletes. Winners must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average over their career and achieve a 3.0 GPA in each of the last two semesters.

“Kay was a very special lady who truly believed in the student-athlete,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “She was a mentor to so many and whether one of her players, an opposing coach, a friend, an associate or one who observed her grace, dignity, elegance, kindness and competitive spirit from a distance, you couldn’t help but be touched by her presence.”

The Kay Yow Award will be presented at the ACC women’s basketball tournament, which runs Thursday through Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina.