Big Ten Medal of Honor

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The Big Ten Medal of Honor is one of the oldest and most respected awards in college sports. It began in 1915 and is given each year to one graduating student-athlete from every Big Ten university who has shown the greatest proficiency in both athletics and academics. With 14 member schools and more than 10,000 student-athletes, only 28 individuals are honored each year (a rule in place since 2014–15). Since its inception, more than 1,300 student-athletes have received the medal. The front of the medal bears the Latin motto "Mens fervida in corpore lacertoso" ("a fervent mind in a vigorous body"); the back lists the recipient's name and the words "For Scholarship and Athletic Prowess." The award was originally given only to men, but since 1982 a female student from each school has also been recognized. The Medal was the first intercollegiate award to celebrate the educational emphasis of athletics and the student-athlete ideal, and many recipients have gone on to success in sports and beyond.