Skidmore College announced that both its men's and women's soccer teams have been honored with the United Soccer Coaches 2025-26 Team Academic Award, a distinction that celebrates squads that excel academically as well as competitively.
Academic excellence on the field
The recognition places the Skidmore programs among a select group of 175 institutions nationwide that earned the honor, reflecting the college's commitment to balancing athletic ambition with scholarly achievement.
According to the college's report, the women's team posted a collective grade point average of 3.65 for the 2025-26 academic year, while the men's team recorded a 3.40 GPA, both comfortably exceeding the 3.0 threshold required for the award.
Out of the 778 soccer programs that submitted data, only 326 were men's teams and 452 were women's, making Skidmore's double inclusion a notable accomplishment within a highly competitive pool.
Award criteria and broader impact
The United Soccer Coaches award, administered by the organization's academic committee, is granted to any team that maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 across its roster, underscoring the association's emphasis on educational integrity.
Skidmore's athletic director praised the student-athletes for their dedication, noting that the honor reflects the broader culture of excellence that the college fosters both in the classroom and on the playing fields.
The college plans to showcase the achievement during upcoming recruitment events, hoping to inspire prospective players to pursue both athletic and academic excellence at Skidmore.