David Bernhardt, MD, professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, is one of two physicians recognized for premier athletic medical honors by the Big Ten. Bernhardt has been named the recipient of the 2026 Andy Hipskind Distinguished Big Ten Team Physician Award — a prestigious honor established to recognize excellence, leadership, and service to student-athletes across the conference. Over the course of more than 31 years at the University of Wisconsin, Bernhardt has served as a team physician, educator, and leader, guided by the unwavering belief that the athlete always comes first. Since joining Wisconsin Athletics in 1994, he has earned the trust of student-athletes, families, coaches, and administrators through his calm clinical judgment, thoughtful communication, and exceptional humanity. Beyond his direct care across numerous sports, Bernhardt has shaped the next generation of sports medicine professionals through his role as co-director of the Wisconsin Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship. As he prepares to retire in June 2026, his legacy lives on in the countless student-athletes he protected, the professionals he mentored, and the standards he helped set for collegiate athletic medicine.