ORLANDO – UCF Football standout RJ Harvey and Rowing All-American Hannah Lovejoy have been named UCF’s nominees for the 2024-25 Big 12 Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards, recognizing their outstanding athletic performances, academic excellence, and leadership during the academic year.
The Big 12 Athlete of the Year awards are selected based on athletic performance and good academic standing within the academic year of nomination, and nominees must participate in a Conference-sponsored sport. Male and female honorees are selected by a media panel. Previously known as the Sportspersons of the Year, the Bob Bowlsby Award is named in honor of the former Big 12 commissioner who served the Conference from 2012 to 2022. It recognizes a male and a female student-athlete annually who represent the absolute best in the Big 12 for their leadership and excellence on and off the field of competition. Honorees are selected by the athletics directors.
RJ Harvey – Football
In 2024, Harvey led the Big 12 Conference and ended the regular season with 1,577 rushing yards. His 22 rushing touchdowns tied for the third most in the nation and were the highest among conference running backs. With 25 total touchdowns (22 rushing, 3 receiving), he broke the UCF record for career touchdowns scored, finishing with 48—two more than UCF Hall of Famer Kevin Smith, who previously held the mark.
Last season, Harvey rushed for more yards than 30 FBS programs, including 20 from Power Four conferences and five within the Big 12. He became just the second player in UCF history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining Marquette Smith (1994–95).
Harvey rushed for over 100 yards in nine of the Knights' 12 games, with a season-best 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns coming against No. 9 Iowa State. The UCF star led the Big 12 with 152 points scored and ranked second in the country, trailing only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, while averaging 12.7 points per game. His 54 runs of 10 or more yards ranked second nationally and first in the conference.
Hannah Lovejoy – Rowing
Lovejoy capped a historic season for UCF Rowing with national and conference honors while helping propel the Knights to new heights. She was named the Big 12 Rower of the Year, earned All-Big 12 Team honors, and received CRCA All-American Honorable Mention as well as CRCA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
A key leader in the First Varsity Eight (First 8+), Lovejoy helped power the boat to eight first-place finishes in 11 races during the season. Under her leadership, the First 8+ earned two Big 12 Boat of the Week honors and achieved the best finish in program history at the NCAA Championships, placing 15th overall as a team and as a boat.