Multiple CSC Academic All-Americans represented among recipients of 2026 NCAA Honors
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Details for 2026 NCAA Honors with ties to Academic All-America or College Sports Communicators included below. For full information, see the full story on NCAA.org.
Award winners recognize leadership, impact and service throughout membership
The NCAA proudly announces the recipients of its 2026 NCAA Honors, recognizing extraordinary current and former student-athletes, coaches and administrators whose achievements exemplify the spirit and values of collegiate athletics.
This year's honorees span a wide range of sports, backgrounds and accomplishments, united by their commitment to leadership, resilience and service.
The honorees will be celebrated at the NCAA Convention in January in the Washington, D.C., area.
Below are those individuals who are past Academic All-Americans or ties to College Sports Communicators.
Woman of the Year: Samantha Schott, The University of Texas at Tyler softball
- 2025 Division II Softball First Team Academic All-America®
- 2024 Division II Softball Second Team Academic All-America®
Samantha Schott, a softball student-athlete at The University of Texas at Tyler, is honored as the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year for her athletic and academic excellence, leadership and community service. Schott helped UT Tyler secure back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships, earned first-team All-Region honors, won two Lone Star Conference Golden Glove awards and set the school record for sacrifice hits. Academically, Schott graduated summa cum laude from the Honors College and was recognized with the NCAA Elite 90 award, honoring the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each NCAA championship finals site. Her commitment to service is equally impressive, mentoring youth through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteering in Guatemala with medical missions and supporting programs like the Special Olympics and the East Texas Food Bank.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. A record-breaking 631 nominees were submitted by member schools for this prestigious award.
Marking 25 years since the conclusion of their college sports careers, these distinguished alumni are recognized for continued excellence. The Silver Anniversary Award celebrates the achievements and contributions of former student-athletes who have excelled in their professional lives and continue to exemplify the values of collegiate athletics.
Drew Brees, Purdue football
- Academic All-America Hall of Fame® Class of 2016
- 2000 University Division Football Team Member of the Year
- 2000 Division I Football First Team Academic All-America®
- 1999 Division I Football Second Team Academic All-America®
Tamika Catchings, Tennessee women's basketball
- 2023 Dick Enberg Award
The Impact Award celebrates the best of college athletics by honoring one exceptional male and one exceptional female senior student-athlete from each division. These honorees exemplify the highest standards of athletic excellence, academic achievement and service to their campuses and communities. The NCAA Impact Award represents the pinnacle of student-athlete recognition.
Division I
Micaylon Moore, Nebraska men's indoor and outdoor track and field
- 2024-25 Division I Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country First Team Academic All-America®
- 2023-24 Division I Men’s Track & Field /Cross Country Second Team Academic All-America®
?Micaylon Moore won multiple U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors in the triple jump, including two first-team selections, and finished second at the 2025 indoor championships. Moore earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was named Nebraska's Most Outstanding Male Student-Athlete in 2025. Academically, Moore earned the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award and was a semifinalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award. He received multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, including first-team recognition in 2025. Beyond the track, he co-founded Husker Healers, for student-athletes interested in health care careers, and the Black Student-Athlete Association. He served six years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered at over 200 community events.
Division II
Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce women's soccer
- 2024 Division II Women’s Soccer First Team Academic All-America®
- 2022 Division II Women’s Soccer First Team Academic All-America®
Brayden Long, Slippery Rock football
- 2024-25 Division II Overall Academic All-American of the Year
- 2024 Division II Football Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year
- 2024 Division II Football First Team Academic All-America®
- 2023 Division II Football Second Team Academic All-America®
Division III
Ella Brissett, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis
- 2024-25 Division III Women’s Tennis First Team Academic All-America®
A two-time NCAA Division III women's tennis champion and two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American in doubles, Ella Brissett also earned first-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, the Division III ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honors. Academically, she was named a 2025 College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-American and conducted award-winning thesis research on health disparities and women's health. Brissett also founded the Women's Empowerment in Sports Club, led Title IX workshops, mentored underrepresented students in STEM and volunteered in clinical and community health settings.
Matthew Wrather, John Carroll football
- 2024 Division III Football First Team Academic All-America®
- 2023 Division III Football Second Team Academic All-America®
Matthew Wrather finished his career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Division III football. A two-time first-team Academic All-American and American Football Coaches Association All-American, Wrather was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his excellence in athletics, academics and service. A team captain and semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, he also co-founded the John Carroll Student Alumni Association, mentoring youth through the Son of a Saint and Carroll Ballers programs and helping to organize campuswide service events like the Jesuit Day of Service.