The award is based on Georgia¹s 2003-04 performance in eight categories: NCAA post-season competitions, SEC competitions, graduation rates of all student-athletes, graduation rates of African-American student-athletes, achievement of gender equitable participation opportunities, achievement of gender equitable financial aid allocations, efficient operation with the use of financial resources in comparison to NCAA postseason winning, and efficient operation with the use of financial resources in comparison to conference winning.
Georgia finished with 1,370 points, based on a sliding scale determined by the order of finish in each category. Florida and Auburn tied for second place with 1,340 points.
The goal of the award program is to recognize athletic departments that demonstrate broad and sustained national and conference excellence in athletic venues and in the classroom. Furthermore, the award acknowledges athletic departments that exhibit success in achieving gender equity and financial efficiency. Penn State was chosen as the overall national champion based on the categories.