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Kansas wins student section of the year award

Missouri v Kansas

LAWRENCE, KS - FEBRUARY 25: Kansas Jayhawk fans cheer during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks on February 25, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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The student section at the University of Kansas doesn’t have a catchy nickname like the “Rowdy Reptiles” (Florida) or the “eRUPPtion Zone” (Kentucky).

But as a result of today they do have something that no other school in America can claim: the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award.

The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and Atlanta Tipoff Club made the announcement today and as a result of winning, Kansas will receive a $5,000 cash award that’s being allocated to the school’s general scholarship fund.

It’s been a good week for KU when it comes to receiving praise in areas other than on the floor, where the two-seed in the Midwest Region posted a 27-6 record and won the Big 12 regular season title.

Inside Higher Ed named the school the champion of its 2012 Academic NCAA Tournament, which takes into account the academic progress rates (APR) of the 68 teams in the field.

Two rounds of public voting in the Naismith Student Section of the Year award narrowed the field from 80 schools to eight, which were then analyzed by the Naismith Board of Selectors. And when the dust settled Kansas came out on top.

“Our student section starts prepping for games days before tip-off; they stand by our team the entire game, giving us an unbelievable home-court advantage,” remarked head coach Bill Self. “We thank the Naismith Awards organization and CLC for establishing this unique award and selecting our Kansas students.”