On behalf of myself and the entire Urbana University family, we would like to welcome you to our online home of Blue Knight Athletics. Urbana University is proud to sponsor 19 NCAA Division II athletic programs on one of the most beautiful geographic locations in the Midwest.
Not everyone can be a Blue Knight, it takes a little something extra. We look for well-rounded individuals who want to excel in competition, the classroom and in the community.
If you want to play for Urbana, the expectation level is that we will play every possession with full effort, without compromise, throughout the entire game. Regardless of the circumstances, the score or any adversity that may occur, you can count on the fact that the Blue Knights will battle their opponent until the final out, point, or 0:00 on the clock. While we will hustle and play hard the entire game we will also compete fairly, with good sportsmanship. We have great respect for the game, our opponents, the officials, our university and the community which we all represent.
In the classroom, we expect our student-athletes to have higher GPA’s, retention rates, and graduation rates then the rest of the student body. Our priorities are very clear that academics take precedence over athletic endeavors. If you will not invest in your education, then we will not invest playing time in you. We offer an array of student support services to help you reach your academic potential.
In the community, each team is expected to be involved in at least one service-learning opportunity. It’s our way of connecting with the community as well as giving back. Our student-athletes have also discovered that they derive a tremendous amount of benefit from their involvement. Campus engagement is also very important. We want each of our student-athletes to have a full, rich college experience and you can only achieve this by being involved in the multitude of opportunities that are offered here at Urbana.
Our coaches are passionate, hard-working, and really care about the well-being of our student-athletes. Coaches are educators, they have a different classroom setting but the expectation is the same; to develop life skills as well as sports skills. If you play for the Blue Knights you will develop the skill sets of discipline, responsibility, accountability, leadership, teamwork, sacrifice, loyalty, hard work, and interpersonal skills, that as a graduate, you will need to be successful in your post-graduate endeavors.
It takes a special individual to be a Blue Knight student-athlete. We’re creating a culture and atmosphere where we want others to look at what our programs are accomplishing and say: “That’s what a model athletic department should look like!”
There are a number of dynamic and exciting changes occurring here at Urbana University. I strongly urge you to take the time to visit campus. It's the only way you can truly experience all that Urbana has to offer. Visit urbana.edu/visit to register for a visit that fits your schedule. Come be a part of something special and join our team! I look forward to meeting you soon!
Go Blue Knights!
Larry Cox
Executive Director of Athletics
