KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association hosts its annual Awards Celebration on Monday, June 1, at the Nelson-Atkins Museum Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The RSVP-only event will include the official induction of the MIAA Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the naming of the Ken B. Jones Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, and many more awards from the 2025-26 academic year.
 
Doors to the Nelson-Atkins Museum Auditorium will open at 5:30 p.m. on June 1, with the event scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. MIAA friends and family can RSVP to the event at theMIAA.com/RSVP. Parking costs will be covered by the MIAA. 

Presented by Seigfreid Bingham, the 2026 MIAA Awards Celebration Ceremony will be hosted in Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum Auditorium for only the second time in the event's history.
 
Blair Kerkhoff returns as the event's emcee for the eighth consecutive year. Kerkhoff has worked as a Kansas City Star sportswriter for over 30 years, primarily covering the Chiefs and Royals. Throughout his career, he’s covered over 26 NCAA Division I Final Fours, 30 NCAA Division I Regional Finals and two Major League Baseball World Series while authoring five books. He was elected into the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. Kerkhoff can also be found as a frequent guest on Sports Radio 810 WHB and 41 Action News in Kansas City. 
 
The evening will begin with brief remarks from MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy, followed by the presentation of multiple individual and institutional awards on stage. The Association's SAAC Cup and Commissioner's Cup will both be presented on stage to the 2025-26 recipients. Former MIAA Commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter will also join Commissioner Racy on stage to present the Dr. Bob Officiating Award of Excellence to the MIAA officials receiving the 2025-26 honor.

Highlighting the evening's festivities is the newest class of the MIAA Hall of Fame. The 2026 class includes seven former student-athletes, three former MIAA coaches/administrators, and one team. To view the MIAA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 and read more information on each inductee, click here.

The finalists for the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award will be in attendance and participate in one-on-one interviews on stage with former Ken B. Jones winner, Josh Lamberson. The Association’s Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the league’s top female and male student-athletes from the academic year. Josh Lamberson was named the Association’s male Ken B. Jones award winner in 2005-06, after being named an All-American quarterback for the Bearcats, helping Northwest Missouri to the 2005 NCAA Division II national championship game. Lamberson is also the current head football coach at the University of Central Missouri. The 2026 Awards Celebration will conclude with the announcement of the 2025-26 male and female Ken B. Jones award winners.
 
A recording of the 2026 MIAA Awards Celebration Ceremony will be available on The MIAA Network following the event’s conclusion. MIAA friends and family wanting to attend the event should RSVP by May 27 at theMIAA.com/RSVP.