compromise, but our biblical values guide us in making decisions that uphold the University's core values. Coaches at Cedarville play a vital role in ensuring that recruitment practices, academic integrity, and sportsmanship resonate with the institution's beliefs. Cedarville’s unique approach lies in its commitment to stay true to its biblical foundation while also impacting and engaging with culture. Integrating culture and faith positions Cedarville as a transformative force within the broader cultural narrative. This past summer, two of our athletic teams participated in international trips. Men’s basketball traveled to Israel and hiked paths in the biblical narrative from Exodus to the resurrection of Christ. Women’s volleyball participated in a Global Outreach trip to Guatemala. “Our trip to Israel was honestly life changing for me,” said Jacob Drees ’23, men’s basketball. “Just learning from someone who had great knowledge of the Bible and seeing all the word pictures to go along with what is in the Bible opened my eyes to how deep your understanding of the Bible can really be if you put in the effort to strengthen your relationship with God.” Our men’s soccer team engages the local community by providing a youth soccer league, serving as coaches and mentors for the participants. ETHICAL DILEMMAS Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is currently a hot topic in college athletics. Along with the push from some national legislators to categorize student-athletes as employees of the University, we must direct our approach to the financial pressures to remain rooted in our commitment to provide excellent experiences and opportunities for our student-athletes to thrive, while remaining committed to our mission. NIL opportunities for our student-athletes must be integrated with our core values in ways that reflect our faith and commitment to ethical conduct. Establishing student-athletes as employees of the University presents significant challenges to any institution outside of the major Division 1 conferences. In a world that increasingly values diversity and inclusion, Cedarville's strong commitment to biblical authority becomes paramount. Our athletic programs remain committed to biblical truths about sexuality and gender. While Cedarville will not be fielding any transgender athletes, there may be a time where we will be competing against schools that do. As Christians, we value individuals from all backgrounds, but we must remain steadfast in our commitment to biblical principles. Cedarville's athletic programs can provide a bridge between faith and culture, demonstrating love for others by articulating our unwavering commitment to a biblical response to current cultural agendas. Recruiting and retaining studentathletes is a challenge for NCAA Division 2 institutions since the establishment of the transfer portal and relaxed NCAA legislation regarding transfer eligibility. Coaches find themselves recruiting their own current student-athletes to prevent them from transferring elsewhere. Cedarville combats this by recruiting student-athletes who are enrolling here for more than just an athletic experience. We must recruit competitive prospects who resonate with the overall mission and vision of the University. Our studentathletes should feel integrated into the whole Cedarville experience. While we have lost some student-athletes to the transfer process to larger institutions, this past year we retained over 94%. That is an outstanding number! It is a testament to the dedication of our coaches and the discipleship they offer. The intersection of college athletics, Cedarville University’s distinctives, and current culture offers a dynamic opportunity for student-athletes to be a light to a shifting culture. In my role, I am dedicated to guiding our programs through this intricate interplay by upholding Cedarville’s faith-focused identity while actively engaging with the ever-changing cultural context. As we navigate this junction, we are called to demonstrate that faith-driven principles can thrive amid the cultural shifts, producing athletes who excel both on the field and as compassionate, impactful individuals in society. By embracing Cedarville distinctives and engaging the cultural environment, we ensure that our athletic programs remain a transformative force, shaping athletes to be not only exceptional players but also Christlike leaders who impact the world for Christ. As Christians, we value individuals from all backgrounds, but we must remain steadfast in our commitment to biblical principles. Cedarville's athletic programs can provide a bridge between faith and culture, demonstrating love for others by articulating our unwavering commitment to a biblical response to current cultural agendas. Chris Cross serves as Vice President for Athletics at Cedarville University. 35
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