Coastal Carolina, Coker and SUNY Oneonta earn NCAA Community Engagement Impact Award

Coastal Carolina, Coker and SUNY Oneonta have earned the 2025 NCAA Community Engagement Impact Award, which recognizes student-athletes' community engagement on campus, in their collegiate cities and in the surrounding area. 

The NCAA and Helper Helper, a volunteer management and tracking platform, conducted the NCAA Community Engagement Impact Challenge for the 11th year. The NCAA Community Engagement Impact Award celebrates student-athletes who volunteer their time and services and recognize their schools for supporting them. The initiative, which encourages student-athletes to engage in outreach, ran from September through December. The challenge measures both the total number of volunteer hours completed per student-athlete and the overall percentage of student-athletes participating in community service programs and activities. 

"We are proud to celebrate and recognize each one of our member institutions' student-athletes and their administration for their commitment to community," said Stephannnie Harvey-Vandenberg, NCAA managing director of external engagement strategic projects and special programs. "These student-athletes exemplify the highest ideals and values of college athletics through their unwavering commitment to service, where each one showcases their dedication to strengthening communities, advancing meaningful causes and contributing to lasting positive change that reflects a profound sense of responsibility and leadership."

This year, student-athletes in Divisions I, II and III contributed a total of 257,299 hours of community service, an increase of approximately 47,000 hours from last year's competition. Division I student-athletes contributed 132,341 hours of volunteer time; Division II student-athletes contributed 91,333 hours; and Division III student-athletes donated 33,625 hours. According to the Independent Sector's research on the national value of volunteer time, their efforts generated an estimated $8.9 million in economic impact. 

"The NCAA schools participating in the Community Engagement Impact Challenge are showing that service can be organized, celebrated and scaled," said Krista Clement, president of Helper Helper and a former NCAA women's basketball student-athlete at Michigan. "Exceeding last year's 210,000 hours and reaching 257,000 this fall demonstrates what's possible when athletics departments intentionally support community involvement. These student-athletes aren't just competing at a high level — they're strengthening the communities that support them."

Coastal Carolina's student-athletes claimed the Division I challenge, averaging 20 hours of volunteer service per student-athlete with 100% student-athlete participation. They donated their time to the Miracle League, working with individuals with disabilities, and Adopt-A-Chant, a holiday gift drive to support local families. They also participated in many events at local elementary and middle schools. Utah State and Miami (Florida) finished second and third, respectively, in the division. 

"I am incredibly proud of our student-athletes for leading the nation in community impact and service," said Chance Miller, vice president for intercollegiate athletic and university recreation at Coastal Carolina. "They are not only elite competitors, but they are also elite leaders, and this recognition validates the investment and the model we are building through the Alise Svihla Student-Athlete Development and Engagement Department. Coastal Carolina is setting the standard for what it means to compete and lead at the highest level in Division I athletics."

Coker took Division II honors, averaging 22 hours per student-athlete with 100% student-athlete participation. Coker student-athletes committed time at Darlington Raceway, assisted with athletics events at Coker and local universities, and supported local youth recreational leagues. Menlo and Georgia Southwestern were second and third, respectively, in Division II. 

"I am extremely proud of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators," Coker Deputy Athletics Director Aaron Beebe said. "Winning an award like this for the third straight year takes buy-in at all three levels. Serving our campus community has become the standard for our department and something we take pride in each year. We continue to raise that standard each year, and we finished the fall with over 12,000 community service hours, the most we have ever had. I also want to thank Helper Helper and the NCAA for giving us this platform to share and showcase the amazing work we are all doing in our communities. It's another great day to be a Cobra!" 

SUNY Oneonta claimed the Division III award, averaging 13 hours of service per student-athlete and 100% student-athlete participation. SUNY Oneonta student-athletes engaged in their community through service events with the Angel Giving Tree and volunteer coaching for local youth sports teams. Salisbury and Oswego State came in second and third, respectively, in Division III. 

"This award stands as a testament to the collective dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and staff," said Don LaSala, assistant athletics director at SUNY Oneonta. "Their unwavering commitment to service and community engagement reflects the core values of SUNY Oneonta. Our student-athletes continue to lead by example, demonstrating a sincere devotion to giving back and strengthening the communities that support them."

In addition to the Community Engagement Impact Challenge, the NCAA has placed more emphasis on community outreach with its student-athlete leaders. The NCAA announced an expanded collaboration in August with Team IMPACT, an organization that matches college sports teams with children facing serious illness or disability. The NCAA also works with Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members on outreach projects throughout the year. 

For more information on how schools can participate in future NCAA Community Service Challenges, contact Krista Clement at krista@helperhelper.com or visit Helper Helper's website.