One hundred sixty-one student-athletes earned the Missouri Valley Conference’s highest academic achievement by capturing the MVC Board of Directors’ Academic Excellence Award.
 
The Board of Directors’ Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.8 cumulative grade point average, participation in athletics a minimum of two years, and the student-athlete must be within 18 hours of graduation (by the end of the Spring 2026 semester). Illinois State had the most individuals, with 31 recognized.
 
The Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum grade point average of 3.5 for each of the previous two semesters, a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade point average, and participation in athletics a minimum of two years. More than 1,000 student-athletes earned the award, topped by Indiana State (125) and Northern Iowa (118) – each with over 100 honorees.

And more than 2,500 MVC student-athletes received Honor Roll recognition. For the MVC Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have recorded a minimum 3.2 grade point average for a specified term (Fall 2025/Spring 2026), must have been a member of an athletics team, and must have been enrolled full time during the term they earned the honor.