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New in 2025-26:
  • Athletic eligibility nomination criteria has been clarified and adjusted on a sport-by-sport basis with input from sport experts. Athletic participation rate requirements have been refined for women's beach volleyball, women's bowling, women's crew/rowing, m/w golf, m/w skiing, m/w swimming & diving, m/w tennis and m/w wrestling.  

Nomination information and criteria How do candidates advance to the Academic All-America national ballot?
Nominating and voting for Academic All-America® is an exclusive right of College Sports Communicators members. All nominations must be submitted by the deadline to be considered. There is a two-step process for eligible student-athletes to advance to the Academic All-America ballot. This process is put in place to ensure only the student-athletes with the highest academic and athletic credentials advance to make the national ballot as manageable for voters as possible.
  1. CSC member must nominate an eligible student-athlete by the nomination deadline for that sport. The CSC member will have the option to submit only basic information for student-athletes who should only be considered for Academic All-District. There will be a checkbox members can check if they wish to submit their student-athlete for Academic All-America consideration. Members who advance student-athletes for AAA consideration should complete the nomination as thoroughly as possible.
  2.  All candidates that are forwarded through member nominations will go to an Academic All-America sub-committee made up of a national coordinator and five sub-committee reviewers. These sub-committees are charged with examining each candidate put forth for Academic All-America consideration, and advancing only those with the highest academic and athletic credentials.
IMPORTANT! NO LATE NOMINATIONS OR VOTES ARE ABLE TO BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Nomination deadlines are strictly followed. NO late nominations can be considered or accepted, per long-standing policy of the CSC Executive Board of Directors. Please plan accordingly and download the Important Dates calendar at the link above.

It is incumbent upon CSC members to nominate the most outstanding student-athletes at their institution based on the criteria below.

Academic eligibility:
  • An undergraduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).
  • A graduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as both an undergraduate and a grad student unless they are in their first semester as a graduate student and don't have an established graduate GPA.
  • The cumulative grade point average may not be rounded up to 3.50.
  • First-semester transfers: See the information, below, for how to submit their GPA.

Academic standing:
  • Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
  • Nominee must be enrolled at their institution at the time of nomination as either an undergraduate or graduate student. Only the school at which an athlete competed in the current academic year can nominate that player.
  • Student-athletes who have graduated from their own institution during the current academic year and are not competing in athletics at another institution at the time of nomination are eligible.
  • Transfer student-athletes are immediately eligible. If your transfer student-athletes (undergraduates or graduates) are in their first semester at your institution, you must use their cumulative undergraduate GPA and cumulative graduate GPA (if grad GPA is applicable) from their former institution — which meets the 3.50 cumulative GPA — to be considered for Academic All-District/Academic All-America status. This would be the GPA or GPAs they used when gaining admittance to your institution. If your transfer student-athlete has a GPA at your institution, then you take the COMBINED cumulative GPA (from all institutions) and use that in your nomination process. (You cannot just select their GPA at your institution to date.)

Athletic eligibility: Sport-specific nomination criteria

Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.

BASEBALL
Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. For pitchers, a student-athlete must have made at least 17 appearances OR pitched 35 innings. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games 

WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Student-athletes must be in the lineup for 75 percent of an institution's TEAM SCORING events 

WOMEN'S BOWLING 
Student-athletes must be in the lineup for 75 percent of an institution's days of competition 

COMPETITIVE CHEER
Student-athletes must participate in 75 percent of the team's total competitions.

WOMEN'S CREW/ROWING 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of a team's competitions OR compete as a member of an NCAA boat (1V8, 2V8, 1V4) at a conference or national championship. 

COMPETITIVE DANCE 
Student-athletes must participate in 75 percent of the team's total competitions.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S FENCING 
Eligible nominees must compete in four competitions OR finish top-eight in their weapon at a conference championship meet. 

WOMEN'S FIELD HOCKEY 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. 

FOOTBALL 
Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S GOLF 
Eligible nominees must be in the lineup for 75 percent of an institution's TEAM SCORING events OR in the lineup at the conference championship tournament. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS 
Eligible nominees must be ranked in the top-75 in an event within their division according to Road to Nationals rankings AND/OR eligible nominees must have competed at their divisional national championship event.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. For goalies, a student-athlete must have started at least 50 percent of an institutions games. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S LACROSSE 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S RIFLE 
Eligible nominees must compete in 75 percent of institutions events OR compete at the NCAA championships.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S SKIING 
Eligible nominees must compete in 75 percent of an institution's carnivals OR compete at the NCAA championships. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S SOCCER 
Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution's matches played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's matches. 

SOFTBALL 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. For pitchers, a student-athlete must have made at least 17 appearances OR pitched 35 innings.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING 
Student-athletes must compete in 75 percent of competitions OR finish top-eight at a conference meet OR participate in a national championship. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S TENNIS 
Eligible nominees must be in the lineup for 75 percent of an institution's days of competition (regional competition such as ITAs and non-team scored events do not count). 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD / CROSS COUNTRY 
Eligible nominees will be based off TFRRS regional performance rankings at the time of nomination. Note: Only individual ranked performances are to be used for eligibility. If a student-athlete has participated in a RELAY EVENT, that can bolster the nomination but the basic criteria to be met is for INDIVIDUAL performances. Relays cannot be the basis for eligibility.
  • NCAA institutions: 
    • Cross Country - Top-50 individual performance at the 2024 NCAA regional competition 
    • Track - Top-50 regional ranking in single event (indoor or outdoor) 
  • NAIA institutions: Top-25 in conference in single event (indoor or outdoor) 
  • College Division: Appear in national ranking in single event (indoor or outdoor) 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's matches played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's matches. Liberos, although not counted in stats as a starter, may be counted as such for nominating purposes. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S WATER POLO 
Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. 

MEN'S & WOMEN'S WRESTLING 
Eligible nominees must be in the lineup for at least 75 percent of TEAM SCORING events (open tournaments, duals) OR compete in their weight class at a conference championship meet. NOTE: Women's wrestling is only eligible for nomination in the NAIA. Women's wrestling is expected to become eligible under NCAA At-Large in 2025-26, when the NCAA begins sponsoring a championship for the sport.
 

Nomination limits per institution are in place for each sport contest as listed below:

Note: For certain contests, the awards system may not properly limit the number of your nominations. However, the below limits and guidelines will be enforced. Each submission has a time stamp and if you exceed the maximum number of nominations the committee will take the nominations in the order you submitted them. Do not risk having the wrong student-athletes included because you exceeded the limits.

Fall Contests
Men's Soccer: 6
Women's Soccer: 6
Women's Volleyball: 4
Football: 8

Winter Contests
Men's Basketball: 4
Women's Basketball: 4
Men's Swimming & Diving: 4
Women's Swimming & Diving: 4

Spring Contests
Men's Tennis: 4
Women's Tennis: 4
Men's At-Large: 6 (see more info below)
Women's At-Large: 6 (see more info below)
College Men's At-Large: 10 (see more info below)
College Women's At-Large: 10 (see more info below)
Softball: 5
Baseball: 5
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country: 5
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country: 5

At-Large Program Details

NCAA and NAIA Divisions
In the At-Large program, nominations are limited to SIX NOMINEES PER GENDER PER SCHOOL, for a maximum total of SIX men's at-large candidates and a maximum SIX women's at-large candidates per school. If an institution has multi-divisional status and participates in more than one division, that institution still may nominate only a total of SIX men and SIX women total.

For instance, if a school plays Division I women's ice hockey and participates in Division III in all other women's sports, the total number of women's at-large nominees they have remains at SIX, regardless of which division its teams participate in.

NCAA Eligible sports
Choose a MAXIMUM total of six (6) student-athletes from men's sports and a MAXIMUM of six (6) student-athletes from women's sports from your institution from these championship sports:
  • Men's Fencing
  • Men's Golf
  • Men's Gymnastics
  • Men's Ice Hockey
  • Men's Lacrosse
  • Men's Rifle
  • Men's Skiing
  • Men's Volleyball
  • Men's Water Polo
  • Men's Wrestling
  • Women's Beach Volleyball
  • Women's Bowling
  • Women's Crew/Rowing
  • Women's Fencing
  • Women's Field Hockey
  • Women's Golf
  • Women's Gymnastics
  • Women's Ice Hockey
  • Women's Lacrosse
  • Women's Rifle
  • Women's Skiing
  • Women's Water Polo
  • NEW Women's Wrestling
NAIA Eligible sports
Choose a MAXIMUM total of six (6) student-athletes from men's sports and a MAXIMUM of six (6) student-athletes from women's sports from your institution from these championship sports:
  • Competitive Cheer
  • Competitive Dance
  • Men's Bowling
  • Men's Golf
  • Men's Lacrosse
  • Men's Volleyball
  • Men's Wrestling
  • Women's Beach Volleyball
  • Women's Bowling
  • Women's Golf
  • Women's Lacrosse
  • Women's Wrestling
College Division (Two-Year Colleges, Canadian Institutions, and any other institution not affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA)
Choose a total of 10 student-athletes from men's sports and 10 student-athletes from women's sports from your institution from these championship sports:
  • Men's Baseball (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, USCAA)
  • Men's Basketball (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Men's Bowling (NJCAA)
  • Men's Football (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports)
  • Men's Golf  (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Men's Ice Hockey (U Sports)
  • Men's Lacrosse (NJCAA)
  • Men's Soccer (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Men's Swimming & Diving (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports)
  • Men's Tennis (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC)
  • Men's Track & Field / Cross Country (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, USCAA)
  • Men's Volleyball (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports, CCAA) 
  • Men's Water Polo (3C2A)
  • Men's Wrestling (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports)
  • Women's Basketball (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Women's Beach Volleyball (NJCAA, 3C2A)
  • Women's Bowling (NJCAA)
  • Women's Field Hockey (U Sports)
  • Women's Golf (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Women's Ice Hockey (U Sports)
  • Women's Soccer (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Women's Sofball (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, USCAA)
  • Women's Swimming & Diving (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports)
  • Women's Tennis (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC)
  • Women's Track & Field / Cross Country (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, USCAA)
  • Women's Volleyball (NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, U Sports, CCAA, USCAA)
  • Women's Water Polo (3C2A)
  • Women's Wrestling (NJCAA, 3C2A, U Sports)

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I have dual affiliation?
You will nominate in the division in which that sport competes for a conference and/or national championship or, if your institution is in a transition year, the division in which most of your competition competes.

I'm at an NAIA school that is also affiliated with the NCCAA, can I nominate in both divisions?
No. You can nominate a student-athlete in either the NAIA or the College Division. You can't nominate the same individual in both divisions.

What if I have a student-athlete who competes and excels in two sports in the At-Large category — can I nominate them twice, once for Sport #1 and once for Sport #2?
No; each student-athlete can only be nominated ONCE in each category. If you have a student-athlete who plays multiple sports (i.e. plays both field hockey and lacrosse) please nominate them in the sport for which they have the highest athletic criteria or the sport you believe they have the best chance of representing that sport. Then, in the nomination fields where you list academic achievements and athletic achievements, make sure to immediately indicate that they are a dual-sport VARSITY athlete and list all their accomplishments for each sport they compete in.

If I'm not a College Sports Communicators member can I still nominate?
No. Only current dues-paying College Sports Communicators members affiliated with a school can nominate/vote for Academic All-America®.

What is the policy on late nominations if you miss a deadline?
ABSOLUTLEY NO LATE NOMINATIONS OR VOTES will be accepted in the CSC Academic All-America Program, per policy of the CSC Executive Board of Directors. This is in fairness to all the CSC members who nominate and vote during the appropriate nomination and voting periods. DEADLINES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED. Please plan accordingly.