High School Champions to Drink Milk
Published: Friday, November 7, 2025
Indiana high school athletes are hoisting a cold glass of milk in the air this fall as they celebrate victories in their respective state championships.
The American Dairy Assn. of Indiana, the checkoff-funded group that awards a bottle of milk to the winner of the Indianapolis 500-mile race, has formed a three-year partnership with the Indiana High School Athletic Assn. to name milk as the official beverage of high school athletics in Indiana.
In keeping with the Indy 500 tradition, Indiana dairy farmers will deliver bottles of milk to the champion teams or individuals. Already, champions have been crowned in girls golf, boys tennis and girls and boys soccer. More "Winners Drink Milk" ceremonies are planned for this weekend in the state volleyball championships and also over Thanksgiving weekend at the conclusion of the state football championships.
Brooke Williams, ADAI communications director, said the Zionsville girls golf team was the first to celebrate a state championship under the new partnership. The IHSAA commissioner presented the commemorative bottle of milk to the medalist. However, she said ADAI wants to involve dairy farmers in the presentations.
"We're hoping that by Thanksgiving that we'll be able to start having some of our dairy farmers there to present the milk," she said.
Williams said the conversation with IHSAA started a few years ago and finally culminated with a partnership that takes effect this year.
"We are known in the state of Indiana for the 'Winners Drink Milk Campaign,' having milk at the Indy 500," Williams said. "We're always wondering how we can work better with youth, the K through 12 age group."
For many years, ADAI has presented milk to the winners at the Indiana State School Music Assn. state finals. The promotion is very successful, with each member of the top marching band receiving a bottle of milk to drink.
The idea to expand this tradition to high school sports originated with an Indiana dairy farmer who saw an opportunity.
"A couple years ago, we had a dairy farmer who was a coach for the high school team, and they were at the state finals," she said. "They just thought, how cool if our team won and we were celebrating with milk."
The promotion launched in August with fall sports and will continue with both winter and spring sports. The hope is that the partnership will create more opportunities throughout the year in which Indiana's dairy checkoff program can promote the benefits of milk, and that all the celebratory moments will elevate milk as the drink of choice for athletes looking to recharge their bodies after a strenuous workout or athletic contest.
Just as they do with the Indy 500, ADAI staff ask the athletes which type of milk they prefer in the event their team wins the championship. The options include whole milk, 2% and fat-free. Williams stated that chocolate milk is the perfect beverage for refueling one's body after a workout. However, only white milk will be served at the IHSAA championships.
Public announcements during the games and posters displayed in IHSAA-member schools all remind young people that cow's milk provides 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, that young people need for growing bodies.
"It's a very exciting partnership," she said. "It's another way that we can educate the community about why dairy is important in everyday diets but also to have a little fun with it and celebrate everything that is good in milk."
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