BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The winners of the 2025-26 Ohio Valley Conference Institutional and Team Academic Achievement Awards have been announced.
 
The overall Institutional Achievement award, presented annually to the member institution with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes that earn a 3.25 grade point average or higher for that academic year, was won by Southeast Missouri State University, which had over 75 percent of its student-athletes earn the honor. It marks the first award for the Redhawks program.
 
The OVC Team Academic Achievement Awards, which are presented annually in each Conference-sponsored sport to the member institution's team with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes who achieved a 3.25 grade point average or higher, were awarded in 17 sports.
 
Eastern Illinois athletic teams collected three of the 17 team sports awards winning the team academic achievement award for men's soccer, softball and women's golf.
 
In total, 11 different member institutions garnered at least one team award with Southeast Missouri leading the way with seven awards. They were followed by Lindenwood (4) and Eastern Illinois (3), while Little Rock, Tennessee State and Western Illinois each earned two awards.
 
The awards cap the announcements regarding 2025-26 academic year awards. It was previously announced that 1,766 OVC student-athletes (the second-highest total in OVC history) were named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll (for having a 3.25 GPA or better) while a record 368 student-athletes achieved perfect 4.0 GPA's to earn the OVC Academic Medal of Honor.
 
Baseball: Lindenwood
Men's Basketball: UT Martin
Women's Basketball: Western Illinois
Beach Volleyball: Chattanooga
Men's Cross Country: Southeast Missouri
Women's Cross Country: Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri & Tennessee Tech
Football: Southeast Missouri
Men's Golf: Little Rock
Women's Golf: Eastern Illinois, Little Rock & Tennessee State
Rifle: Morehead State
Men's Soccer: Eastern Illinois
Women's Soccer: Lindenwood
Softball: Eastern Illinois
Women's Tennis: Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri, SIUE, Tennessee State & Western Illinois
Men's Track and Field: Southeast Missouri
Women's Track and Field: Southeast Missouri
Women's Volleyball: Southeast Missouri