UCLA’s Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients Revealed

At the end of every academic year, the Big Ten conference honors a male and female student-athlete from each school’s graduating class who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field. After its second season in the Big Ten, UCLA announced the pair of Bruins selected as their Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients.

>Women’s basketball center Lauren Betts and men’s water polo attacker Chase Dodd were named UCLA’s Medal of Honor recipients for the 2025-26 school year. Both Betts and Dodd helped lead their teams to national championships this season.

>The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first introduced in 1915, four years before UCLA was founded. Last year, UCLA honored women’s soccer defender Lilly Reale and men’s golfer Pablo Ereño with the award.

Betts’ Career at UCLABetts was the Bruins’ leading scorer and rebounder during UCLA’s national championship run. The two-time All-American finished her career at UCLA as the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots.

UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts cuts a piece of net to celebrate their 79-51 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks to claim the NCAA women’s basketball national championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 5, 2026. Photo Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesShe became the first athlete to win the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in conference history. Betts was also named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and won the 2026 Honda Sport Award for basketball.

>Off the court, Betts opened up about her battle with mental illness and has become an advocate for mental health support in sports. She is now a rookie on the Washington Mystics and was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Dodd’s Career at UCLA Dodd helped UCLA win back-to-back national championships by scoring four goals in three games during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. He also earned his third ACWPC All-America honor and second NCAA All-Tournament Team selection this season.

Photo Credit: Elijah CarrOutside of water polo, Dodd has excelled in the classroom. He has earned several academic awards throughout his career, including an Academic All-District selection this year and three ACWPC All-Academic selections.

>Dodd currently plays for Los Angeles Athletic Club and will battle for a roster spot on Team USA’s water polo team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

>Photo Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

>The post UCLA’s Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients Revealed appeared first on LA Sports Report.