CLEVELAND - The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) announced the 2020-21 recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 14^th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.

In total, there were a record breaking 16,262 student-athletes from 188 institutions recognized for the 2020-21 Academic Achievement Awards. This is the most student-athletes being recognized since the inception of the award's program. For the third consecutive year, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has the largest number of student-athlete honorees with 1,466 total, closely followed by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with 1,216 and Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) with 1,181. In addition, we would also like to recognize two additional conferences who finished in the top five; the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) with 1,133 and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) with 1,118, respectively.

"It is incredible to think that our athletes excelled in the classroom despite having to deal with the many stressors associated with COVID-19. To see once again that a record-breaking number of students are recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award is simply astonishing," said Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President for Athletics at the University of Charleston and current D2 ADA President. "I am extraordinarily impressed by the efforts of our member institutions to ensure that they provide special recognitions for their respective athletes, as they are certainly deserving."

Independently, the Mountain East Conference's (MEC) University of Charleston led the way with 260 honorees, followed closely by Mercyhurst University of the PSAC with 221 award winners. University of Indianapolis of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) finished third with 215 recipients and another GLVC representative Lindenwood University came in fourth overall with 197. Rounding out the top-five was the PSAC's Seton Hill University with 186 nominees.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.

Also, the student-athlete must:

• have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work 
• have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
  • Given the vast experiences institutions have had this year when it comes to participation, all athletes who meet bullet point items 1 and 2 are still eligible as long as they were still an active member of the roster during this academic year.

The following institutions submitted student-athletes (#) for the Division 2 ADA Academic Achievement Award. To view the full list of submissions, click here.

California Collegiate Athletic Association
Cal Poly Pomona	47
Cal State Monterey Bay	77
Cal State San Marcos	86
California State University, Chico	101
CSU Domingue Hills	47
CSU San Bernardino	44
CSU Stanislaus	62
Humboldt State University	56
San Francisco State	67
Sonoma State University	63
	650
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Bloomfield College	32
Caldwell University	76
Concordia College New York	36
Georgian Court University	61
Goldey-Beacom College	45
Holy Family University	44
Post University	96
Thomas Jefferson University	98
	488
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Bowie State University	21
Elizabeth City State University	23
Fayetteville State University	20
Johnson C. Smith University	56
Lincoln University	28
Saint Augustine's University	15
Virginia State University	58
Virginia Union University	30
	251
Conference Carolinas
Belmont Abbey College	80
Chowan University	33
Converse College	54
Erskine College	56
King University	73
Lees-McRae College	40
Southern Wesleyan University	62
University of Mount Olive	113
	511
East Coast Conference
Daemen College	50
Mercy College	75
Molloy College	101
Queens College	40
Roberts Wesleyan College	69
St. Thomas Aquinas College	61
University of the District of Columbia	29
	425
Great American Conference
Arkansas Tech University	54
East Central University	63
Harding University	117
Henderson State University	70
Northwestern Oklahoma State University	68
Oklahoma Baptist University	140
Southeastern Oklahoma State University	41
Southern Arkansas University	80
Southwestern Oklahoma State University	67
	700
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Ashland University	113
Ferris State University	163
Michigan Technological University	114
Purdue University Northwest	77
University of Wisconsin Parkside	79
Wayne State University	147
	693
Great Lakes Valley Conference
Drury University	152
Lewis University	150
Lindenwood University	197
Rockhurst University	183
Truman State University	130
University of Indianapolis	215
University of Southern Indiana	102
William Jewell College	87
	1216
Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Hillsdale College	82
Tiffin University	164
University of Findlay	142
Ursuline College	55
	443
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Central Washington University	136
Seattle Pacific University	65
Simon Fraser University	9
Western Oregon University	49
Western Washington University	67
	326
Gulf South Conference
Auburn University at Montgomery	55
Christian Brothers University	52
Delta State University	90
Lee University	104
Union University	49
University of Montevallo	130
University of West Florida	100
University of West Georgia	47
	627
Lone Star Conference
Angelo State University	81
Cameron University	45
Dallas Baptist University	86
Lubbock Christian University	81
Oklahoma Christian University	97
St. Edward's University	62
Texas A&M International University	25
Texas A&M University-Commerce	81
Texas A&M University-Kingsville	77
Texas Woman's University	42
University of Arkansas - Fort Smith	22
University of Texas at Tyler	98
West Texas A&M University	81
	878
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Emporia State University	101
Fort Hays State University	93
Lincoln University	30
Missouri Southern State University	57
Missouri Western State University	96
Newman University	72
Northeastern State University	53
Northwest Missouri State University	119
Pittsburg State University	86
Rogers State University	42
University of Central Missouri	129
University of Central Oklahoma	73
Washburn University	167
	1118
Mountain East Conference
Fairmont State University	121
Notre Dame College	87
University of Charleston	260
	468
Northeast 10 Conference
Adelphi University	136
Assumption University	129
Bentley University	146
Franklin Pierce University	144
Le Moyne College	115
Pace University	153
Saint Anselm College	27
Saint Michael's College	102
Stonehill College	166
The College of Saint Rose	63
	1181
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Concordia University	101
Minnesota State University Moorhead	87
Minnesota State University, Mankato	129
Minot State University	69
University of Mary	109
University of Minnesota Crookston	45
University of Minnesota Duluth	93
University of Sioux Falls	108
Wayne State College	89
Winona State University	122
	952
Pacific West Conference
Academy of Art University	36
Azusa Pacific University	112
Biola University	123
Chaminade University of Honolulu	30
Concordia University Irvine	118
Dominican University of California	74
Holy Names University	55
Point Loma Nazarene University	86
University of Hawaii at Hilo	62
	696
Peach Belt Conference
Augusta University	59
Clayton State university	20
Flagler College	41
Francis Marion University	36
Georgia College	57
Lander University	93
University of North Carolina Pembroke	70
University of North Georgia	70
Young Harris College	62
	508
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Bloomsburg University	119
California University of Pennsylvania	94
Clarion University	82
Gannon University	178
Kutztown University	144
Lock Haven University	83
Mansfield University	27
Mercyhurst University	221
Seton Hill University	186
Shippensburg University	110
University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown	38
West Chester University	184
	1466
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Black Hills State University	60
Chadron State College	71
Fort Lewis College	63
Metropolitan State University of Denver	58
New Mexico Highlands University	47
South Dakota School of Mines	49
University of Colorado Colorado Springs	126
Western Colorado University	73
	547
South Atlantic Conference
Carson-Newman University	104
Coker University	79
Lenoir-Rhyne University	168
Limestone University	106
Lincoln Memorial University	98
Mars Hill University	117
Queens University of Charlotte	174
Tusculum University	119
University of Virginia Wise	33
Wingate University	135
	1133
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Albany State University	50
Central State University	28
Spring Hill College	91
	169
Sunshine State Conference
Barry University	85
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	130
Nova Southeastern University	82
Palm Beach Atlantic University	78
Rollins College	163
Saint Leo University	145
University of Tampa	133
	816