In total, there were 15,226 student-athletes from 200 institutions recognized for the 2019–20 Academic Achievement Awards — numbers that shattered the records for highest number of participating institutions and the largest number of student-athletes being nominated since the award program’s inception. For the second consecutive year, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has the largest number of student-athlete honorees with 1,365.
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 DII ADA. The student-athlete must also have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, have attended a minimum of two years of college level work, and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.