The following story was published by Illinois Times on Dec. 16, 2025.

Mike Hermann: Programs win when they recruit exceptional student-athletes, develop them and create an experience that bonds a team together. That’s the first pillar of how we measure success at UIS.

The second is academic excellence. After 18 months on the job, I’m grateful to have inherited a program with a strong academic culture. Prairie Star student-athletes have earned an average GPA of 3.55 or higher in each of the past three semesters. Our NCAA Academic Success Rate — which tracks graduation rates for both first-year and transfer student-athletes — has topped 90 percent two years running. That performance earned UIS the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Excellence, an honor given to only 43 institutions nationwide. We were one of just six public universities to receive the recognition.

The third pillar is community connection. Athletics has a unique ability to bridge the university and the broader community. A vibrant summer camp program, strong service initiatives, intentional outreach and rising attendance all help deepen that relationship.

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