ARKANSAS STATE, BUFFALO, CLEMSON, IOWA STATE, KANSAS STATE, LOUISVILLE, NAVY, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTHWESTERN, NOTRE DAME, SOUTH ALABAMA, UTSA, VIRGINIA TO RECEIVE 2023 AFCA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
December 8, 2023
Arkansas State, Buffalo, Clemson, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, South Alabama, UTSA, and Virginia will share the American Football Coaches Association’s 2023 Academic Achievement Award. The Memphis Touchdown Club presents the annual award, which is sponsored by BSN Sports.
All 13 schools shared the highest graduation rate for members of their 2016 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Northwestern’s 12th honor, Notre Dame’s 10th, Virginia’s fourth and Clemson’s third. Kansas State, Louisville and Navy are receiving their second honor while Arkansas State, Buffalo, Iowa State, North Carolina, South Alabama, and UTSA are receiving the award for the first time. The award will be presented during the Honors Luncheon on Monday, January 8, at the 2024 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
This year’s award marks the 12th time the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) one-year formula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007, the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and the AFCA. From 2008-17, the criteria for the AFCA’s Academic Achievement Award was based on the highest NCAA GSR, and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better. For 2018 and 2019, the AFCA used the NCAA’s single-year APR. The AFCA returned to the GSR one-year formula in 2022.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes and holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and non-scholarship students at schools that do not offer athletics aid. Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award.
Past Academic Achievement Award Winners
1981 Duke* 2002 Northwestern
1982 Notre Dame* 2003 Duke
1983 Notre Dame* 2004 Boston College, Northwestern
1984 Duke, Notre Dame* 2005 Duke, Northwestern
1985 Virginia* 2006 SMU
1986 Virginia* 2007 Northwestern, Notre Dame
1987 Duke* 2008 Vanderbilt
1988 Notre Dame* 2009 Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.)
1989 Kentucky* 2010 Northwestern, Rice
1990 Duke* 2011 Boise State, Miami (Ohio)
1991 Notre Dame* 2012 Northwestern, Stanford
1992 Boston College, TCU* 2013 Georgia, Rice, Stanford, Tulane
1993 Duke* 2014 Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford
1994 Duke* 2015 Duke, Vanderbilt
1995 Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest* 2016 Miami (Fla.), Northwestern, Stanford
1996 Boston College, Duke, Vanderbilt* 2017 Alabama, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Northwestern, Utah, Utah State, Virginia
1997 Duke* 2018 Clemson, Kansas State, Nevada, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh
1998 Northwestern 2019 Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Louisville, Rice, Utah
1999 Duke 2020 no award given
2000 Syracuse 2021 no award given
2001 Notre Dame, Vanderbilt 2022 Air Force, Boston College, Navy, Northwestern, Stanford, Toledo, Vanderbilt
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 12; Notre Dame, 10; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 4; Clemson, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Arkansas State, Buffalo, Clemson, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, South Alabama, UTSA, and Virginia will share the American Football Coaches Association’s 2023 Academic Achievement Award. The Memphis Touchdown Club presents the annual award, which is sponsored by BSN Sports.
All 13 schools shared the highest graduation rate for members of their 2016 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Northwestern’s 12th honor, Notre Dame’s 10th, Virginia’s fourth and Clemson’s third. Kansas State, Louisville and Navy are receiving their second honor while Arkansas State, Buffalo, Iowa State, North Carolina, South Alabama, and UTSA are receiving the award for the first time. The award will be presented during the Honors Luncheon on Monday, January 8, at the 2024 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
This year’s award marks the 12th time the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) one-year formula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007, the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and the AFCA. From 2008-17, the criteria for the AFCA’s Academic Achievement Award was based on the highest NCAA GSR, and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better. For 2018 and 2019, the AFCA used the NCAA’s single-year APR. The AFCA returned to the GSR one-year formula in 2022.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes and holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and non-scholarship students at schools that do not offer athletics aid. Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award.
| Past Academic Achievement Award Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Duke* | 2002 | Northwestern |
| 1982 | Notre Dame* | 2003 | Duke |
| 1983 | Notre Dame* | 2004 | Boston College, Northwestern |
| 1984 | Duke, Notre Dame* | 2005 | Duke, Northwestern |
| 1985 | Virginia* | 2006 | SMU |
| 1986 | Virginia* | 2007 | Northwestern, Notre Dame |
| 1987 | Duke* | 2008 | Vanderbilt |
| 1988 | Notre Dame* | 2009 | Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) |
| 1989 | Kentucky* | 2010 | Northwestern, Rice |
| 1990 | Duke* | 2011 | Boise State, Miami (Ohio) |
| 1991 | Notre Dame* | 2012 | Northwestern, Stanford |
| 1992 | Boston College, TCU* | 2013 | Georgia, Rice, Stanford, Tulane |
| 1993 | Duke* | 2014 | Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford |
| 1994 | Duke* | 2015 | Duke, Vanderbilt |
| 1995 | Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest* | 2016 | Miami (Fla.), Northwestern, Stanford |
| 1996 | Boston College, Duke, Vanderbilt* | 2017 | Alabama, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Northwestern, Utah, Utah State, Virginia |
| 1997 | Duke* | 2018 | Clemson, Kansas State, Nevada, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh |
| 1998 | Northwestern | 2019 | Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Louisville, Rice, Utah |
| 1999 | Duke | 2020 | no award given |
| 2000 | Syracuse | 2021 | no award given |
| 2001 | Notre Dame, Vanderbilt | 2022 | Air Force, Boston College, Navy, Northwestern, Stanford, Toledo, Vanderbilt |
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 12; Notre Dame, 10; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 4; Clemson, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
