Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
MTSU football earns AFCA Academic Achievement Award
11/26/2025 10:30:00 AM | Football
WACO, TEX. — Middle Tennessee, Cincinnati, Maryland, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Temple will share the American Football Coaches Association's 2025 Academic Achievement Award. The Memphis Touchdown Club presents the annual award, which is sponsored by BSN Sports.
All seven schools shared the highest graduation rate for members of their 2018 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Northwestern's 13th honor, Notre Dame's 12th, and Cincinnati's, Middle Tennessee's, and Pittsburgh's second while Maryland and Temple are receiving the award for the first time. The head coaches of the winning schools will be honored during the 2026 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, January 11.
This year's award marks the 14th time the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) one-year formula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007, the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and the AFCA. From 2008-17, the criteria for the AFCA's Academic Achievement Award was based on the highest NCAA GSR, and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better. For 2018 and 2019, the AFCA used the NCAA's single-year APR. The AFCA returned to the GSR one-year formula in 2022.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes and holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and non-scholarship students at schools that do not offer athletics aid. Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution's GSR cohort.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award.
Past Academic Achievement Award Winners
1981: Duke*
1982: Notre Dame*
1983: Notre Dame*
1984: Duke, Notre Dame*
1985: Virginia*
1986: Virginia*
1987: Duke*
1988: Notre Dame*
1989: Kentucky*
1990: Duke*
1991: Notre Dame*
1992: Boston College, TCU*
1993: Duke*
1994: Duke*
1995: Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest*
1996: Boston College, Duke, Vanderbilt*
1997: Duke*
1998: Northwestern
1999: Duke
2000: Syracuse
2001: Notre Dame, Vanderbilt
2002: Northwestern
2003: Duke
2004: Boston College, Northwestern
2005: Duke, Northwestern
2006: SMU
2007: Northwestern, Notre Dame
2008: Vanderbilt
2009: Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.)
2010: Northwestern, Rice
2011: Boise State, Miami (Ohio)
2012: Northwestern, Stanford
2013: Georgia, Rice, Stanford, Tulane
2014: Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford
2015: Duke, Vanderbilt
2016: Miami (Fla.), Northwestern, Stanford
2017: Alabama, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Northwestern, Utah, Utah State, Virginia
2018: Clemson, Kansas State, Nevada, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh
2019: Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Louisville, Rice, Utah
2020: no award given
2021: no award given
2022: Air Force, Boston College, Navy, Northwestern, Stanford, Toledo, Vanderbilt
2023: Arkansas State, Buffalo, Clemson, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, South Alabama, UTSA, Virginia
2024: Air Force, Clemson, Liberty, Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 13; Notre Dame, 12; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; Clemson, 4; Air Force, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
All seven schools shared the highest graduation rate for members of their 2018 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Northwestern's 13th honor, Notre Dame's 12th, and Cincinnati's, Middle Tennessee's, and Pittsburgh's second while Maryland and Temple are receiving the award for the first time. The head coaches of the winning schools will be honored during the 2026 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, January 11.
This year's award marks the 14th time the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) one-year formula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007, the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and the AFCA. From 2008-17, the criteria for the AFCA's Academic Achievement Award was based on the highest NCAA GSR, and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better. For 2018 and 2019, the AFCA used the NCAA's single-year APR. The AFCA returned to the GSR one-year formula in 2022.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes and holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and non-scholarship students at schools that do not offer athletics aid. Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution's GSR cohort.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award.
Past Academic Achievement Award Winners
1981: Duke*
1982: Notre Dame*
1983: Notre Dame*
1984: Duke, Notre Dame*
1985: Virginia*
1986: Virginia*
1987: Duke*
1988: Notre Dame*
1989: Kentucky*
1990: Duke*
1991: Notre Dame*
1992: Boston College, TCU*
1993: Duke*
1994: Duke*
1995: Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest*
1996: Boston College, Duke, Vanderbilt*
1997: Duke*
1998: Northwestern
1999: Duke
2000: Syracuse
2001: Notre Dame, Vanderbilt
2002: Northwestern
2003: Duke
2004: Boston College, Northwestern
2005: Duke, Northwestern
2006: SMU
2007: Northwestern, Notre Dame
2008: Vanderbilt
2009: Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.)
2010: Northwestern, Rice
2011: Boise State, Miami (Ohio)
2012: Northwestern, Stanford
2013: Georgia, Rice, Stanford, Tulane
2014: Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford
2015: Duke, Vanderbilt
2016: Miami (Fla.), Northwestern, Stanford
2017: Alabama, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Northwestern, Utah, Utah State, Virginia
2018: Clemson, Kansas State, Nevada, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh
2019: Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Louisville, Rice, Utah
2020: no award given
2021: no award given
2022: Air Force, Boston College, Navy, Northwestern, Stanford, Toledo, Vanderbilt
2023: Arkansas State, Buffalo, Clemson, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, South Alabama, UTSA, Virginia
2024: Air Force, Clemson, Liberty, Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 13; Notre Dame, 12; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; Clemson, 4; Air Force, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
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