FRISCO, Texas – BYU’s Meghan Hunter (track and field) and Colorado’s Travis Hunter (football) were selected as the recipients of the third annual Bob Bowlsby Award.

Established by the Big 12 Board of Directors, the Bob Bowlsby Award is the Conference’s highest individual honor. Named for former Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the award recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who exemplify excellence and leadership both on and off the field.

The winners were determined by a vote of the league’s athletics directors.

This marks the second consecutive year a BYU student-athlete has received the honor, while Colorado celebrates the award in its first season back in the Big 12.

Hunter, a track and field standout at BYU, maintained a 3.95 GPA while earning a graduate degree in communications disorders. She earned 2024 Academic All-Big 12 honors.

The 2024 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award honoree won the 2025 Big 12 title in the 800m, setting both a meet and school record (1:58.99). Hunter also contributed to a Distance Medley Relay team that broke NCAA and BYU records (10:37.58) in the 400m leg.

The Provo native procured First Team All-America recognition in the 800m after placing third at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In 2019, shortly after signing her letter of intent with BYU, Hunter was involved in a devastating car accident that resulted in a broken neck. Doctors initially said she would never run again. A CWSA Honda Inspiration Award finalist, she defied expectations through intense physical and mental rehabilitation, eventually returning to become an All-American. Hunter’s experience is viewed as an inspiration to her teammates and coaches.

Colorado’s Travis Hunter delivered one of the most decorated individual seasons in college football history, being named the consensus National Player of the Year while becoming the Buffaloes’ second Heisman Trophy winner.

The native of Suwanee, Georgia, was named the National Defensive Player of the Year (Bednarik, Lott IMPACT Trophy), became the first repeat winner of the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile) and captured the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. He was a unanimous first-team All-American, earning seven first team honors across major publications.

A psychology major, Hunter was selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and remains on track to graduate in December.

The cover star of EA Sports College Football 25 was named the Division I Football Academic All-American of the Year and is a two-time first-team Academic All-America honoree. A frequent member of CU’s 4.0 GPA Club, he has balanced elite athletic performance with a deep commitment to academics.

Off the field, Hunter is the epitome of a teammate and a good citizen. He regularly visited schools and community centers and helped families in need by purchasing Christmas gifts. After sustaining an injury during the Colorado State game his sophomore season, he reached out to support the opposing player – who had received online threats – by recording a joint video to defuse the situation.

Each Big 12 institution was permitted to nominate one male and one female student-athlete of any classification who compete in a Conference-sponsored sport during the 2024-25 academic year.

During his tenure as Commissioner from 2012-22, Bowlsby successfully navigated television rights deals, protected student-athletes’ well-being and innovated the field of college athletics. Most recently, Bowlsby led the way for BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to join the league, while his inaugural year saw him successfully navigate the addition of TCU and West Virginia into the Conference.