SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League released the list of nearly 900 student-athletes named to the 2023-24 Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence Thursday. The list includes student-athletes from the League’s nine member institutions and seven associate members competing in 17 different sports.
 
Qualifications

• In order for a student-athlete to be selected to the Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence, the student-athlete must carry a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA, have used a year of eligibility and completed three full semesters or five quarters at the nominating institution.
• Student-athletes having a 3.9 or higher cumulative career grade-point average are designated with an asterisk to indicate “with distinction.”

By The Numbers

• A total of 898 student-athletes across 17 sports were honored on the Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence. A total of 355 selections earned the “with distinction” accolade.
• South Dakota held the most total selection with a total of 130. South Dakota State followed with 123 total selections and St. Thomas with 120.
• The Coyotes also had the most total number of student-athletes on the list of honorees with 120 while Omaha (113) and St. Thomas (113) followed in second in third, respectively.
• For the third consecutive year and fifth year overall, the Denver Pioneers received the Summit League Institutional Academic Achievement Award (2016-17; 2021-2024). DU had 72.3 percent of their list-eligible student-athletes earn the academic excellence accolade.
• The League awards Team Academic Achievement honors for each sport based on the percentage of list-eligible student-athletes on the Commissioner's List. The Pioneers paced the efforts with five of their squads earning a team title, while North Dakota and North Dakota State each had three teams earn the accolade. Oral Roberts (2), South Dakota State (2), St. Thomas (1) and South Dakota (1) were the only other teams to earn a Team Academic Achievement award.

List of Team Academic Achievement Awards:
Baseball: North Dakota State
Men's Basketball: Denver
Women's Basketball: South Dakota State
Men's Cross Country: Oral Roberts
Women's Cross Country: North Dakota
Men's Golf: North Dakota State
Women's Golf: Denver & North Dakota State
Men's Soccer: Western Illinois
Women's Soccer: Denver
Softball: South Dakota State
Men's Swimming & Diving: South Dakota
Women's Swimming & Diving: St. Thomas
Men's Tennis: Denver
Women's Tennis: Denver
Men's Track & Field: North Dakota
Women's Track & Field: North Dakota
Volleyball: Oral Roberts
 
NOTE: "Selections" account for duplicated student-athletes on the list in the sports of cross country and track and field.

List of Institutional Academic Achievement Award Winners (Award began in 2009-10):
2009-10 .........................................South Dakota State
2010-11 ........................................ Centenary
2011-12 .........................................South Dakota
2012-13 .........................................Omaha / South Dakota State
2013-14 .........................................Omaha
2014-15 .........................................Omaha
2015-16 .........................................Omaha
2016-17 .........................................Denver
2017-18 .........................................South Dakota
2018-19 .........................................South Dakota
2019-20 .........................................North Dakota State
2020-21 .........................................North Dakota State
2021-22 .........................................Denver
2022-23 .........................................Denver
2023-24 .........................................Denver

Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence (by total number of selections):
South Dakota – 130
South Dakota State – 123
St. Thomas – 121
Omaha – 119
North Dakota State – 115
North Dakota – 98
Denver – 96
Oral Roberts – 82
Lindenwood – 19 (swimming & diving associate member)
Southern Indiana – 15 (swimming & diving associate member)
Eastern Illinois – 13 (swimming & diving associate member)
Kansas City – 9
Northern Colorado - 9 (baseball associate member)
Illinois State – 6 (men’s tennis associate member)
Drake – 5 (men’s tennis associate member)
Western Illinois – 5 (men’s soccer associate member)

Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence (by total number of student-athletes):
South Dakota - 120
Omaha – 113
St. Thomas - 111
North Dakota State – 108
South Dakota State – 108
Denver – 96
North Dakota – 85
Oral Roberts - 77
Lindenwood –19
Southern Indiana – 15
Eastern Illinois – 13
Northern Colorado - 9
Kansas City – 8
Illinois State – 6
Drake – 5
Western Illinois – 5
 
A complete list of the 2023-24 Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence recipients can be found in the link above as a PDF.