INDIANAPOLIS--- Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, Jesse Owens, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John Wooden top the list of the NCAA’s “100 Most Influential Student-Athletes.”

As part of the NCAA Centennial celebration in 2006, ESPN Classic began airing Monday, two one-hour  programs highlighting the 100 Most Influential NCAA Student-Athletes. The shows count down student-athletes from 100 to 51 and 50 to 1. In addition the program specials will re-air several times on ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network.

"The list of 100 student-athletes represents the best of what college sports and higher education bring to our society,” said NCAA President Myles Brand. “Their collective positive impact serves as a model for today’s student-athletes.”

The NCAA defines the 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes as those who have made a significant impact or major contributions to society.

"The show is really featuring not just the accomplishments student-athletes had in competition, but it’s their contribution to society as a whole that’s really being celebrated,” said John L. Johnson, NCAA Director of Promotions and Events.

The 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes were chosen by a special panel that included college presidents, athletics directors, faculty representatives, student-athletes and conference representatives.

The NCAA celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006. The NCAA Centennial began January 6 at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.

The “100 Most Influential Student-Athletes”:

1. Jackie Robinson, University of California Los Angeles, basketball, baseball, football, track and field
2. Arthur Ashe, University of California Los Angeles, tennis
3. Jesse Owens, Ohio State University, track and field
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. Military Academy, football
5. John R. Wooden, Purdue University, basketball
6. Althea Gibson, Florida A&M University, tennis, basketball, golf
7. Madeline Albright, Wellesley College, swimming and diving
8. Jack W. Nicklaus, Ohio State University, golf
9.  Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Stanford University, swimming, track and field
10. Edward G. Robinson, Grambling State University, college football coach with the most victories at one college and the winningiest coach in DIAA.
11. Ronald Reagan, Eureka College, swimming, football, track and field
12. Billie Jean King, Cal State, Los Angeles, tennis
13. Tiger Woods, Stanford University, golf
14. Gerald R. Ford, University of Michigan, football
15. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., North Carolina A&T State University, football
16. Kofi Annan, Macalester College, track and field, soccer
17. George H.W. Bush, Yale University, baseball
18. Donna A. Lopiano, Southern Connecticut State University, softball, basketball, volleyball, field hockey
19. Alan Page, University of Notre Dame, football
20. Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee at Martin, basketball
21. Jim Thorpe, Carlisle Indian School, football
22. Michael Jordan, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, basketball
23. Paul Robeson, Rutgers University, football, basketball, track and field
24. Jerome “Brud” Holland, Cornell University, football
25. Arnold Palmer, Wake Forest University, golf
26. Joseph V. Paterno, Brown University, football, basketball
27. Sally Ride, Stanford University, tennis
28. Leroy T. Walker, Benedict College, football, basketball, track and field
29. Donna deVarona, University of California, Los Angeles, swimming and diving
30. Bill Bradley, Princeton University, basketball
31. Wilma Rudolph, Tennessee State University, track and field
32. Dr. Denton A. Dooley, M.D., University of Texas at Austin, basketball
33. Dr. Benjamin Spock, Yale University, crew
34. Peter Ueberroth, San Jose State University, swimming, water polo
35. Edwin Moses, Morehouse College, track and field
36. Robert J. Dole, Washburn University, football, basketball, track and field
37. Patricia “Patty” Berg, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, golf
38. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, U.S. Military Academy, football, baseball
39. William “Bill” H. Cosby, Jr., Temple University, track and field, football
40. Bill Russell, University of San Francisco, basketball
41. Byron R. White, University of Colorado, Boulder, football
42. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, University of California, Los Angeles, track and field, basketball
43. Dot Richardson, University of California, Los Angeles, softball
44. Ann Meyers-Drysdale, University of California, Los Angeles, basketball, track and field, volleyball
45. Howard K. Smith, Tulane University, track and field
46. Roger T. Staubach, U.S. Naval Academy, football, basketball, baseball
47. Knute Rockne, Notre Dame, football, track and field
48. Richard Nixon, Whittier College, football
49. Anita DeFrantz, Connecticut College, rowing
50. Dean Smith, University of Kansas, basketball
51. Mia Hamm, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, soccer
52. Harold “Red” Grange, University of Illinois, Champaign, football, track and field, baseball
53. Joan Benoit Samuelson, Bowdoin College, indoor and outdoor track and field, field hockey
54. Rafer Johnson, University of California, Los Angeles, basketball, track and field
55. Dr. Cedric W. Dempsey, Albion College, football, basketball, baseball
56. Oscar P. Robertson, University of Cincinnati, basketball
57. Val Ackerman, University of Virginia, basketball
58. Annika Sorenstam, University of Arizona, golf
59. A. Lamar Alexander, Jr., Vanderbilt University, track and field
60. Betsy King, Furman University, golf, basketball, field hockey
61. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, West Point University, football, wrestling
62. Walter Jerry Payton, Jackson State University, football
63. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, University of California, Los Angeles, basketball
64. Capt. Alan B. Shepard, U.S. Naval Academy, crew
65. Judith Sweet, University of Wisconsin, Madison, badminton
66. Mike Krzyzewski, West Point University, basketball
67. Vince Lombardi, Fordham University, football
68. Robert B. Mathias, Stanford University, football, track and field
69. Bill Richardson, Tufts University, baseball
70. Jack F. Kemp, Occidental College, football
71. Calvin Hill, Yale University, football
72. James Brown, Harvard University, basketball
73. Larry Bird, Indiana State University, basketball
74. Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Michigan State University, basketball
75. Herman R. Frazier, Arizona State University, track and field
76. Dennis Hastert, Wheaton College, wrestling
77. Otis Chandler, Stanford University, track and field
78. George P. Schultz, Princeton University, basketball
79. Jerry West, West Virginia University, basketball
80. Robert Kraft, Columbia University, football
81. William “Bill” V. Campbell, Columbia University, football
82. Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, Yale University, soccer, track and field
83. William P. Lawrence, U.S. Naval Academy, football
84. Arnold “Red” Auerbach, George Washington University, basketball, baseball
85. Phil Knight, University of Oregon, track and field
86. Edward Temple, Tennessee State University, track and field
87. Archie Griffin, Ohio State University, football
88. Thomas J. Hamilton, U.S. Naval Academy, football, basketball, baseball
89. Dr. James Frank, Lincoln University (Missouri), basketball
90. Dawn Staley, University of Virginia, basketball
91. Michael H. Armacost, Carleton College, football, basketball, baseball
92. Meg Whitman, Princeton University, lacrosse, squash
93. Cheryl Miller, University of Southern California, basketball
94. Wyomia Tyus, Tennessee State University, track and field
95. Theresa Edwards, University of Georgia, basketball
96. Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier, Pennsylvania State University, football, track and field
97. Julie Foudy, Stanford University, soccer
98. Robin Roberts, Southeastern Louisiana University, basketball
99. Alpha A. Alexander, College of Wooster, basketball, volleyball, tennis, lacrosse
100. Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State University, football

A complete alphabetical list of student-athletes and a television schedule are located in the Helpful Links box above.

MEDIA NOTE: The NCAA Centennial electronic media kit will be updated throughout the Centennial year. Click the following link for the online media kit: web1.ncaa.org/cent/mediaKit.jsp