The Silver Anniversary Awards are awarded every year by the American National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to recognize six distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates.
The Silver Anniversary Awards were first given in 1973, when five distinguished former student-athletes were honored.
Since 1986, the number of annual honorees has increased to six.
[1] In order to be eligible, the nominee must be a college graduate, must have competed in intercollegiate competition 25 years before the NCAA convention date, must be a varsity letter winner at an NCAA member institution and, must have achieved personal distinction since their graduation.
One-third of the selection criteria is based on the nominee's achievements during their time as a prominent collegiate athlete, while the other two-thirds are determined by the nominee's career achievements, including professional, charitable and civic contributions.