Seven Schools Win AFCA Academic Achievement Award
December 5, 2024
Air Force, Clemson, Liberty, Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest and Wisconsin will share the American Football Coaches Association’s 2024 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 2017 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Notre Dame’s 11th honor, Virginia’s fifth, Clemson’s fourth and Air Force’s third. Wake Forest is receiving their second honor while Liberty and Wisconsin are receiving the award for the first time. The head coaches of the winning schools will be honored during the 2025 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, January 12.
This year’s award marks the 13th 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
Year Schools
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
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 12; Notre Dame, 11; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; Clemson, 4; Air Force, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Air Force, Clemson, Liberty, Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest and Wisconsin will share the American Football Coaches Association’s 2024 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 2017 freshman football student-athlete classes. This is Notre Dame’s 11th honor, Virginia’s fifth, Clemson’s fourth and Air Force’s third. Wake Forest is receiving their second honor while Liberty and Wisconsin are receiving the award for the first time. The head coaches of the winning schools will be honored during the 2025 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, January 12.
This year’s award marks the 13th 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
| Year | Schools |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Most Awards: Duke, 14; Northwestern, 12; Notre Dame, 11; Boston College, 5; Stanford, 5; Vanderbilt, 5; Virginia, 5; Clemson, 4; Air Force, 3; Rice, 3.
*- Presented by the CFA
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
