After ranking sixth in the nation in team GPA following the 2024-25 academic year, Eastern Illinois softball climbed up the Top 10 rankings during the 2025-26 academic year as the Panthers posted the second best GPA in the nation at 3.87.
 
The Easton/Top 10 academic poll was released by the NFCA on Wednesday with Butler ranking first in the nation just slightly ahead of EIU with a team GPA of 3.876.   Alabama was ranked third at 3.844 followed by Saint Louis and Omaha.   Coastal Carolina led the final five schools which were nationally ranked in sixth with New Mexico, Western Kentucky, Wichita State and Youngstown State rounding out the Top 10.
 
On the field Eastern Illinois won its third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular season title in 2026 and made the program's second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Earlier this week EIU won the OVC's Team Academic Achievement Award for the year.