Baseball And Men’s Golf Earn American Team Academic Excellence Awards
July 16, 2026 | Baseball, General, Men's Golf
IRVING, Texas – The East Carolina baseball and men's golf programs have earned American Team Academic Excellence Awards for the 2025-26 academic year according to an announcement by the league office Thursday afternoon. The award goes to the team with the highest annual grade point average in each sport the conference sponsors.
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For an unprecedented 11th-straight year (American Conference record), the baseball program under head coach Cliff Godwin, boasted the sports highest grade point average coming in with a 3.72 for the 2025-26 campaign, which tied a program-best GPA set a year ago. The previous watermark was established during the 2020-21 year with a 3.64 GPA.
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The men's golf team, led by director of golf/head coach Kevin Williams, earned its first American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award after posting a program-best 3.84 GPA. In the fall, the Pirates sported a 3.86 GPA and followed that with a 3.82 spring GPA.
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Since joining the American Conference as a full member, four current Pirate sport programs have garnered the Team Academic Excellence Award and they include: baseball (11 times; 2015 to present), men's golf (once; 2026), women's golf (six times; 2016-19, 2023-24) and women's tennis (three times; 2018, 2024-25). ECU's men's tennis program was a two-time recipient in 2019 and 2020.
2025-26 American Team Academic Excellence Awards
Baseball – East Carolina
Football – Memphis
Men's Basketball - UAB
Men's Cross Country – Rice
Men's Golf – East Carolina
Men's Indoor Track & Field – Rice
Men's Outdoor Track & Field – Rice
Men's Soccer – UAB
Men's Tennis – UAB
Softball – Wichita State
Women's Basketball – Rice
Women's Cross Country – Rice
Women's Golf – North Texas
Women's Indoor Track & Field – Rice
Women's Outdoor Track & Field – Rice
Women's Lacrosse – Temple
Women's Soccer – Memphis
Women's Swimming & Diving – Rice
Women's Tennis – UAB
Women's Volleyball - Tulsa
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For an unprecedented 11th-straight year (American Conference record), the baseball program under head coach Cliff Godwin, boasted the sports highest grade point average coming in with a 3.72 for the 2025-26 campaign, which tied a program-best GPA set a year ago. The previous watermark was established during the 2020-21 year with a 3.64 GPA.
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The men's golf team, led by director of golf/head coach Kevin Williams, earned its first American Conference Team Academic Excellence Award after posting a program-best 3.84 GPA. In the fall, the Pirates sported a 3.86 GPA and followed that with a 3.82 spring GPA.
Â
Since joining the American Conference as a full member, four current Pirate sport programs have garnered the Team Academic Excellence Award and they include: baseball (11 times; 2015 to present), men's golf (once; 2026), women's golf (six times; 2016-19, 2023-24) and women's tennis (three times; 2018, 2024-25). ECU's men's tennis program was a two-time recipient in 2019 and 2020.
2025-26 American Team Academic Excellence Awards
Baseball – East Carolina
Football – Memphis
Men's Basketball - UAB
Men's Cross Country – Rice
Men's Golf – East Carolina
Men's Indoor Track & Field – Rice
Men's Outdoor Track & Field – Rice
Men's Soccer – UAB
Men's Tennis – UAB
Softball – Wichita State
Women's Basketball – Rice
Women's Cross Country – Rice
Women's Golf – North Texas
Women's Indoor Track & Field – Rice
Women's Outdoor Track & Field – Rice
Women's Lacrosse – Temple
Women's Soccer – Memphis
Women's Swimming & Diving – Rice
Women's Tennis – UAB
Women's Volleyball - Tulsa
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Friday, May 29
Thursday, May 28
Sunday, May 24
Sunday, May 24
