** During the month of July, EIUPanthers.com looks back at 14 events, moments and players that helped shape the 2024-25 academic year. **

Eastern Illinois had another successful year in the classroom as the Panthers turned in top academic and athlete performances during the 2024-25 school year.
 
EIU once again was near the top of the Ohio Valley Conference in both Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medal of Honor winners and OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll selections.
 
The Panthers had 41 Medal of Honor winners which ranked second in the OVC.  EIU has had 314 winners in the last eight years leading the OVC in six of those eight academic years (finishing second the other two times).
 
EIU added 183 OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll selections for their work in the classroom.  EIU also had affiliate memberships in The Summit League and Horizon League with an additional 21 student-athletes recognized for their performance in the classroom.
 
Capping the academic success for the year were Chad Smith (Men's Soccer) and Mackenzie Aldridge (Women's XC / Track) being named OVC Scholar-Athletes of the Year.  EIU collected two of the six awards issued by the league for the season.  It marked the fourth time in school history EIU had two of the six scholar-athletes of the year selected.  Overall EIU has had 12 male student-athletes earn OVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and nine female student-athletes earn OVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards.  Smith / Alridge Award Release