University of Colorado Student-Athletes Receive Pac-12 Sportsmanship Award

Jan 2, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; A general view of the Pac 12 logo before the start of the game between the Oregon State Beavers and the Colorado Buffaloes at Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

In an official release issued today, the Pac-12 Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced that, collectively, the University of Colorado student-athletes are this year’s recipients of the Pac-12 Sportsmanship Award. The men and women of CU earned recognition from the committee for their contributions to relief efforts following the devastating floods that impacted the Boulder area last September.

From the Pac-12’s official statement:

"Over an eight-day period in mid-September, Boulder received more than 17 inches of rain in what was eventually called the 1,000-year rain and the 100-year flood. More than 300 homes were destroyed, over 1,000 people had to be evacuated by air and damage to roads surpassed $150 million. The Buffs canceled, moved or rescheduled all sporting events for the weekend after the worst day of the flood and on the tail end of eight days of rain. Since the Buffs were not playing, CU student-athletes spent the day feeding CU’s housing family members and first responders."

In addition to displaying outstanding conduct on the field, the Pac-12’s Sportsmanship Award focuses on “a demonstration of good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.”

There’s no denying that, in addition to dealing with the disruptions the floods caused in terms of their respective seasons and daily lives on campus, the CU student-athletes went above and beyond to support the local community during one of the region’s most trying times in recent memory.

Congratulations to the Buffs on this well deserved honor. It’s a proud day to be a Buffs fan. You can read the full text of the press release on the Pac-12’s site.