Academic Excellence Recognized Nationally
The National Association of Basketball Coaches recently honored Belmont’s men’s basketball program with the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, a distinction that underscores the team’s commitment to scholarship. This accolade is reserved for squads that post a collective grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and Belmont has met that benchmark for 26 consecutive years, the longest streak in NCAA Division I.
The recognition is not new territory for the Bruins. Since the award’s inception in 2013, Belmont remains the only Division I program to be honored every single year. In addition, six current student‑athletes earned placement on the NABC Honors Court, and two of them — Tyler Lundblade and Drew Scharnowski — were also selected to the 2025‑26 DI‑AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar‑Athlete Team.
Belmont’s academic prowess extends beyond the current roster. The university boasts 81 Bruin selections to the NABC Honors Court since 2011 and holds the nation’s leading total of 20 CSC Academic All‑America® selections. The program has posted a team GPA of 3.0 or higher for 26 straight seasons, a record that includes every year of the team’s existence and places it among a select group of institutions with such sustained performance.
Athletically, the Bruins have translated scholarly discipline into on‑court success. They have captured 21 conference championships since 2006 and endured 16 consecutive seasons with 20 or more victories. Those achievements have helped the program secure multiple NCAA Tournament berths and earn a reputation as a consistent postseason contender.
The program’s excellence also resonates in the professional arena. Over the past six years, Belmont has produced two or more first‑round NBA Draft selections, highlighting the effectiveness of its player development pipeline. Moreover, the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are the only Division I programs to win at least 20 games in 11 straight seasons, a testament to a culture that values both competition and scholarship.
Beyond the hardwood, Belmont’s commitment to academic integrity is reflected in its consistent placement on the NCAA APR Honor Roll and its reputation as the sole Division I institution where both men’s and women’s programs achieve 20‑plus wins in each of the last 11 seasons. This dual focus has positioned the university as a model for balancing athletic ambition with scholarly rigor.