The Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award was created to honor the most valuable player of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) men's basketball national tournaments. Established in 1939 and later named as an homage to the Chuck Taylor All-Stars, an iconic basketball shoe in the early 20th century, it has been awarded every year with the exceptions of 1944 due to World War II and 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between the 1991–92 and 2019–20 seasons, the NAIA was split into Division I and Division II. Each division subsequently held their own national tournament, with MVPs awarded for them respectively. Starting with the 2020–21 season, the NAIA returned to non-divisional classifications.
Chuck Taylor MVPs
Non-divisional era (1939–1991, 2021–present) Year Most Valuable Player Team Reference 1939 Southwestern (KS) 1940 Tarkio (MO) 1941 Northwestern State (LA) 1942 Evansville (IN) 1943 Appalachian State (NC) 1944 Tournament canceled due to World War II 1945 Eastern Kentucky 1946 Southern Illinois 1947 Eastern Washington 1948 Indiana State 1949 Hamline (MN) 1950 Indiana State 1951 Millikin (IL) 1952 Murray State (KY) 1953 Missouri State 1954 (2) Missouri State 1955 Texas A&M–Commerce 1956 McNeese (LA) 1957 Southeastern Oklahoma State 1958 Tennessee State 1959 (2) Tennessee State 1960 Texas State 1961 Grambling State (LA) 1962 Prairie View A&M (TX) 1963 UT Rio Grande Valley (TX) 1964 (2) UT Rio Grande Valley (TX) 1965 Central State (OH) 1966 Oklahoma Baptist 1967 (2) Oklahoma Baptist 1968 Fairmont State (WV) 1969 Maryland Eastern Shore 1970 Eastern New Mexico 1971 Kentucky State 1972 (2) Kentucky State 1973 Guilford (NC) 1974 West Georgia 1975 Grand Canyon (AZ) 1976 Coppin State (MD) 1977 Texas Southern 1978 Nebraska–Kearney 1979 Drury (MO) 1980 Cameron (OK) 1981 Southern Nazarene (OK) 1982 USC Upstate (SC) 1983 Charleston (SC) 1984 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 1985 Fort Hays State (KS) 1986 Lipscomb (TN) 1987 Washburn (KS) 1988 Grand Canyon (AZ) 1989 East Central (OK) 1990 Birmingham–Southern (AL) 1991 Oklahoma City 1992–2020 Split into NAIA Divisions I and II 2021 Shawnee State (OH) 2022 Loyola (LA) 2023 College of Idaho 2024 Freed–Hardeman (TN) 2025 College of Idaho 2026 Freed–Hardeman (TN)
Divisional era (1992–2020) + NAIA Division I Year Most Valuable Player Team Reference 1992 Oklahoma City 1993 Hawaii Pacific 1994 Oklahoma City 1995 Birmingham–Southern (AL) 1996 Oklahoma City 1997 Life (GA) 1998 Georgetown (KY) 1999 Life (GA) 2000 Life (GA) 2001 Faulkner (AL) 2002 USAO (OK) 2003 Mountain State (WV) 2004 Mountain State (WV) 2005 John Brown (AR) 2006 Texas Wesleyan 2007 Oklahoma City 2008 (2) Oklahoma City 2009 Rocky Mountain (MT) 2010 Oklahoma Baptist 2011 Pikeville (KY) 2012 Concordia (CA) 2013 Georgetown (KY) 2014 Vanguard (CA) 2015 Dalton State (GA) 2016 Mid-America Christian (OK) 2017 Texas Wesleyan 2018 Graceland (MO) 2019 Georgetown (KY) 2020 Tournament canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic+ NAIA Division II Year Most Valuable Player Team Reference 1992 Grace (IN) 1993 Willamette (OR) 1994 Eureka (IL) 1995 Bethel (IN) 1996 College of Idaho 1997 Bethel (IN) 1998 (2) Bethel (IN) 1999 Cornerstone (MI) 2000 Embry–Riddle (FL) 2001 Northwestern (IA) 2002 Evangel (MO) 2003 (2) Northwestern (IA) 2004 Oregon Tech 2005 Walsh (OH) 2006 College of the Ozarks (MO) 2007 MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) 2008 Oregon Tech 2009 Oklahoma Wesleyan 2010 Saint Francis (IN) 2011 Cornerstone (MI) 2012 Oregon Tech 2013 Cardinal Stritch (WI) 2014 Indiana Wesleyan 2015 Cornerstone (MI) 2016 Indiana Wesleyan 2017 Union (KY) 2018 Indiana Wesleyan 2019 Spring Arbor (MI) 2020 Tournament canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
See also NCAA Division I basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player – the equivalent award in NCAA Division I men's and women's tournaments
References