Champaign, IL – January 9, 2025 – Gameday Spirit Fanstore is proud to announce the launch of the Game Changer Award for Sports Leadership, an exciting new initiative designed to honor exceptional women who have made a transformative impact in sports. This award celebrates leadership, innovation, and dedication to breaking barriers while inspiring the next generation of sport leaders and innovators.
The award will be presented on February 6, 2025, during the University of Illinois Women’s Basketball Women Win In Orange Game sponsored by Gameday Spirit. The game is against Northwestern at the State Farm Center and aligns with the celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, observed nationwide on February 5, 2025.
“We’re thrilled to spotlight women who are truly changing the game in the region and University of Illinois community, both on and off the court,” said Chrissy Myers, COO of Gameday Spirit. “This award reflects Gameday Spirit’s ongoing commitment to uplifting and celebrating greatness in women’s sports and fandom.”
Nominations Now Open - Gameday Spirit invites the community to nominate inspiring women in sports leadership. Submitting a nomination is simple and quick:
- Who Can Be Nominated: Women who have demonstrated significant contributions to sports as players, coaches, administrators, the sports business, or advocates in the region or the broader University of Illinois community, alumni and administrators can be nominated.
- Region includes Central Illinois, Chicago Metro, Indianapolis Metro, St. Louis Metro areas.
- U of I Community includes any student, alumni, employee or administrator.
- How to Nominate: Visit https://www.gamedayspirit.com/pages/gamechangeraward to complete the online nomination form.
- Deadline: Nominations close on January 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST.
The winner will be celebrated in a special on-court ceremony during the Illini Women’s Basketball Orange Out, Women Win In Orange Game honoring National Girls & Women in Sports Day on February 6.
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About Gameday Spirit Fan Store
Celebrating Fans, Championing Gameday Spirit! Gameday Spirit Fan Store fuels the excitement of gameday by embracing the passion and pride of college sports fans. As a leader in collegiate licensed apparel, Gameday Spirit’s business spans retail, e-commerce, in-venue stadium locations, apparel production, and college team store management. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Champaign, IL, the company partners with top universities, including the University of Illinois, Indiana University, Purdue, Northwestern, Ball State, and Ohio University.