Loyola Athletic Programs Earn NAIA Scholar-Team Honors
Thirteen university athletic teams received recognition for their academic excellence during the 2025-26 school year.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Scholarships
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During the 2025-26 academic year, 13 Loyola athletic programs received official NAIA Scholar-Team recognition. This honor highlights the department-wide commitment to maintaining high academic standards for student athletes.
Why it matters
The recognition reflects a culture of prioritizing classroom success alongside athletic performance. By balancing rigorous training with academic demands, these teams set a benchmark for student athlete achievement.
A total of 13 Loyola athletic programs earned the Scholar-Team status for the 2025-26 academic year. The women's track and field and cross country teams specifically achieved some of the highest GPAs across the university.
The players
NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is a governing body for athletics programs at small colleges and universities.
Loyola University
Loyola is a higher education institution that emphasizes both academic and athletic development for its students.
The details
Coaches support this academic culture by allowing flexibility in practice schedules for students managing significant academic commitments. This approach ensures that athletes are able to maintain their coursework priority while competing at the collegiate level.
Timeline
The 13 athletic programs were recognized for the 2025-26 academic year.
Culture Shift
This achievement follows a pattern set by the NCAA Academic Progress Rate requirements, which track student athlete academic retention and success. It represents a broader societal shift toward valuing the student in the student-athlete model across university systems.
For students and prospective athletes, this recognition demonstrates that the university maintains a structured environment for academic growth. It may influence decision-making for those prioritizing institutions that provide flexible support for their specific course loads.
The takeaway
Maintaining a strong GPA requires proactive communication between athletes and their coaching staff. Students can implement similar success by leveraging department-wide flexibility to manage their most demanding academic semesters.
Further reading
Learn more about academic opportunities and recognition in our Scholarships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Maroon.
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