NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference has announced the 22 teams that have been recognized with 2016-17 Team Academic Excellence Awards for having the highest collective grade-point averages in each conference sport.
Nine different schools had at least one team honored, with DePaul leading the way with eight certificates. The Blue Demons had a league-best six in 2015-16. Seton Hall had four teams recognized, followed by Villanova with three. St. John’s boasted two honorees, while Butler, Creighton, Marquette, Temple and Denver rounded out the award winners with one nod apiece.
The winners were chosen based on the 2016-17 grade-point average of each student-athlete who appeared on an institution’s roster as of the last contest of the championship segment in each conference-sponsored sport.