General | 11/13/2023 12:55:00 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 13, 2023) – In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Division II this year, the NCAA will present a 50th Anniversary Gold Award.

For the opening of the award, nominations came from Division II member schools. In the second round of the award, conference offices reviewed the pool of nominees from their conferences and selected two honorees (one who identifies as male and one who identifies as female).

From the Lone Star Conference office, Texas Woman's nominee, Jo Kuhn, was selected as the female representative. She joins the 45 finalists from the Division II member conferences.

"Jo Kuhn's impact on Texas Woman's Athletics, the LSC and DII is immeasurable; still today her fingerprints are on the foundation of what we do," Sandee Mott, TWU Director of Athletics, said. "Her vision, matched by her work ethic, makes her a deserving candidate for this honor.  I am so very proud of her and grateful for her."

According to the NCAA, the NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee will review the 45 conference finalists and select the two overall winners, who will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.

With over 30 years of accomplishments as a TWU athletic administrator, coach and kinesiology faculty member, Kuhn championed a transformative time for TWU Athletics and their foundation in NCAA Division II, along with being an active voice for all women's athletics.

In 1982, Kuhn became the TWU Director of Athletics, assuming the position during a time when the university's athletic programs received no scholarships and had virtually no financial or university support.

After just six short years at the helm, Kuhn pioneered TWU to overall success in athletics. In 1988, she succeeded in lobbying and gaining admission for TWU into NCAA Division II's Lone Star Conference by unanimous vote – making TWU the only women's institution in the nation in a coed conference. TWU became the only LSC member institution without football as a sponsored sport, as Kuhn championed history for not only TWU by female athletes across the nation.

In the same year, Kuhn also advocated for legislation at the NCAA Convention, which would allow Division II institutions the opportunity to conduct tryouts of prospective student-athletes on the member institution's campus. While the legislation was met with stiff opposition, Kuhn's powerful words refuted each opposing argument, guiding the legislation to approval by a 114-73 vote from the Division II membership. Nevertheless, at that time, the NCAA had a General Business session following the divisional sessions, which combined all three divisions. As a result, the tryout legislation was added to the General Business agenda and had to be approved by all three divisions.

Once again, Kuhn's eloquent argument defended the importance of the legislation and once again it was successful.

During her argument, these words echoed through the convention, reminding everyone and emphasizing the power of Division II and its members' voices:

"…I have attended every NCAA Convention since women's athletics became a part of that. Each year, the trend has been federated decisions, that each division has different needs, and different responsibilities, therefore, they should have judgment of their division as to what should be attained. Division II passed yesterday without a close vote to have tryouts. So as I speak in opposition of rescinding it, I hope you will remember that this division made that choice."

During her time as TWU Director of Athletics, Kuhn promoted the total success of the athlete – in competition and in the classroom. Under her leadership, the historical streak of TWU student-athletes maintaining a cumulative department GPA of 3.0 or higher began and has since lasted for over 40 years.

Kuhn also established the Pioneer Club at TWU, which distributed over $900,000 in athletics aid to TWU student-athletes from 1984-2002, as Kuhn worked tirelessly to garner support from the university and community for the incredible athletes at TWU.

Following her resignation as Director of Athletics in 1992 and retirement from TWU in 1997, Kuhn has received numerous awards for her lifetime of sacrificial service and leadership. In 1997, she was inducted into the TWU Athletics Hall of Fame. Then, in 2002, she became the first TWU Pioneer to be inducted into the LSC Hall of Honor – to date, she is one of only three TWU inductees into the LSC Hall of Honor. Additionally, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from NACWAA, now Women Leaders in Sports, a Hall of Fame Award from the National Association of Sport and Physical Education and the Pathfinder Award for Texas from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport.

Kuhn spent her life's work championing opportunities for women's athletics and made a transformational difference on not only Texas Woman's but NCAA Division II.

An interview with Kuhn released during last year's 50th Anniversary of Title IX can be viewed here, as Kuhn discusses her time as TWU Director of Athletics and her role in the Division II tryout legislation.