Understanding the NCAA Academic All-America Criteria

The Academic All-America program is a prestigious student-athlete recognition initiative that celebrates the accomplishments of athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom. Administered by College Sports Communicators (CSC), formerly known as CoSIDA, this program selects honorary sports teams composed of the most outstanding student-athletes for various sports positions in a specific season. These athletes are then given the honorific "Academic All-American." Established in 1952, it stands as the premier and longest-running award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions. The Academic All-America program has evolved, with different sponsors throughout its history, including Google Cloud (2018-2019), Capital One (2011-2018), ESPN The Magazine (2004-2010), Verizon (2000-2004), and GTE (1985-2000).

Eligibility and Nomination

To be nominated for Academic All-District recognition, student-athletes must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50 and meet high athletic standards. Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors. A select group of student-athletes advances to the national ballot where CSC members vote on Academic All-America teams.

Academic Requirements

A cornerstone of the Academic All-America program is a strong academic record. The student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average.

An undergraduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).
The student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale through the end of the fall semester of competition.
The student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale through the most recently completed grading period. Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0].
Graduate school nominees must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better both as an undergraduate and in graduate school.

Transfer student-athletes are immediately eligible. If transfer student-athletes (undergraduates or graduates) are in their first semester at their institution, their cumulative undergraduate GPA and cumulative graduate GPA (if grad GPA is applicable) from their former institution must meet the 3.50 cumulative GPA requirement to be considered for Academic All-District/Academic All-America status. This would be the GPA or GPAs they used when gaining admittance to the institution. If a transfer student-athlete has a GPA at the institution, then the combined cumulative GPA (from all institutions) is used in the nomination process.

Athletic Requirements

Athletic achievement is also a key component of the selection criteria. Nominees must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable). In baseball and softball, pitchers must have at least 10.0 innings pitched.

Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games.
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's matches played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's matches.
Eligible nominees must be in the lineup for at least 75 percent of TEAM SCORING events (open tournaments, duals) OR compete in their weight class at a conference championship meet.
Must have finished the season among the top 50 individuals as listed on the descending order lists on TFRRS.
Must have competed as a member of one of the top 35 relays teams as listed on the descending order list on TFRRS. In addition, any athletes not among the top 35 relay teams, but who participated in the relay at the Indoor OR Outdoor National Championships, are eligible.

Other Eligibility Requirements

Nominees are ineligible until the completion of one full calendar year at his/her current institution and attainment of sophomore athletic eligibility. Transfers, graduate students and two-year college graduates must have completed one full calendar year at the nominating institution to be eligible. Nominee must be enrolled at their institution at the time of nomination as either an undergraduate or graduate student.

Nomination Process

The nomination process involves several key steps.

Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors.
In each program, All-District selections are elected by the CSC membership with the resulting first-team All-District selections advancing to the national ballot for Academic All-America team selections.
The national ballot is cast by all College Sports Communicators members plus the Academic All-America Committee and the CSC Board of Directors.
Once you choose all your selections, you will be asked to name your TOP THREE candidates for Team Member of the Year honors. Go back to the roster of all candidates.
Every student-athlete submitted for "Academic All-America consideration" on the nomination form will not advance to the national ballot.

It's crucial to adhere to nomination deadlines, as late nomination entries will not be accepted. Note: For certain contests, the awards system may not properly limit the number of your nominations. Each submission has a time stamp and if you exceed the maximum number of nominations the committee will take the nominations in the order you submitted them.

Nomination Limits

Except for at-large program, there are no limits in the number of athletes an institution may nominate. In the at-large program, nominations are limited to three per school per gender (a total of five men's at-large candidates and five women's at-large candidates). In the At-Large program, nominations are limited to SIX NOMINEES PER GENDER PER SCHOOL, for a maximum total of SIX men's at-large candidates and a maximum SIX women's at-large candidates per school.

Important Reminders

Please save your work periodically.
Every student-athlete submitted for "Academic All-America consideration" on the nomination form will not advance to the national ballot.
Remember- Per CSC Executive Board of Directors' long-standing policy, no late nomination entries will be accepted in the Academic All-America program.

Fees

All late nominations are subject to (1) a flat $50 late fee; and (2) a charge of $20 per set of All-Academic certificates printed.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Divisions and Teams

Initially, team selections were composed of both a University Division, made up of Division I participants, and a College Division, made up of Division II, Division III, NAIA, and 2-year colleges. First, second and third team selections are made for both divisions in most Academic All-America programs. However, the football programs only select a first and second team. Prior to 2011, there were two sets of teams chosen: One for Division I and a College Division that included all other divisions including NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian schools. schools that are not NCAA or NAIA members, two-year colleges and Canadian schools. The College Division was further split before the 2018-19 school year with the creation of a separate NAIA division and with the College Division now including all two-year colleges, Canadian institutions and any other school not part of the NCAA or NAIA. In each program, Academic All-District honors are given to all student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.5 who also are key starters or reserves.

Currently, College Sports Communicators is responsible for the annual selection of Academic All-Americans in men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, baseball, softball and men's and women's track and field/cross country.

Academic All-America Team Member of the Year

In addition, there is an annual selection by the College Sports Communicators and its Academic All-America sponsor of the individual athlete selected as the most outstanding Academic All-America of the approximately 2000 annual selections. Since the start of the 2018-19 school year, one winner has been chosen for each of four divisions: Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA. four-year schools that were not NCAA or NAIA members, and Canadian schools. Between 1996 and 2011 one winner each was chosen from both the College and University Divisions' annual selections. During the 1987-88 academic year, College Sports Communicators began selecting one student as the most outstanding team member of the year. In 1996, CSC began selecting two outstanding team members yearly, one each from the college division and the university division. In 2011-12, when the program was expanded to include four sets of teams (Division I, Division II, Division III and a College Division), four winners were chosen, one from each division. An Academic All-American Team Member of the Year is selected in each sport and division. An Overall Academic All-American of the Year is selected as the top student-athlete across all sports in each NCAA and NAIA division.

Trademark Protection

College Sports Communicators has registered a trademark for the name, "Academic All-America" which it uses for its student-athlete recognition program. The Academic All-America program administered by College Sports Communicators is not related to such programs administered or sponsored by coaches' organizations. As a result, cease and desist orders have been granted to protect the trademark at times. Your help is needed by the Executive Board and AAA Committee to monitor the wrongful use of this registered trademark. We ask that members be cognizant of only using "Academic All-America" in relation to CSC's program.

Notable Achievements

The all-time list of 44,000+ Academic All-Americans includes major sports stars and some of the world’s most accomplished individuals in medicine, business, science and the arts. Nebraska's rich tradition of academic excellence is solidified on the national level through the University's dominance of the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America awards. University of Nebraska student-athletes from all teams and all sports have combined to far outdistance any other school in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska ranks second in NCAA Division I with 373 CSC Academic All-Americans (as of Aug. Nebraska became the first school across all sports and all divisions to reach the 300 milestone in 2012-13. In fact, only 11 other schools across all divisions (MIT, 468; Stanford, 400; Johns Hopkins, 292; Notre Dame, 280; Emory, 246; Alabama, 241; Penn State, 237; Washington University in St. The Nebraska volleyball team leads all NCAA Division I women's teams all-time across all sports with 44. Only one other NCAA Division I volleyball program has more than 15 all-time Academic All-Americans (Stanford, 24). Nebraska also leads NCAA Division I men's track and field/cross country programs all-time with 37 all-time Academic All-Americans, eight more than second-place Stanford (29).

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