CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 30, 2026) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA ®) proudly announced the recipients of the 2025–2026 Dr. Freddie Vaughn Highest Team Academic Awards, recognizing the member institutions whose teams achieved the highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) in each CIAA sponsored sport during the academic year.
In his honor, the CIAA renamed its Highest Team Academic Award to the Dr. Freddie Vaughn Highest Team Academic Award in 2018. Dr. Vaughn was a respected figure in the world of collegiate athletics and a longtime advocate for academic excellence. He served as the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) at Bowie State University, a role in which he was responsible for representing the interests of student athletes, ensuring compliance with NCAA and CIAA rules, and supporting academic and athletic success. This annual recognition is given to the team in each CIAA sport with the highest cumulative grade point average, reflecting his legacy of valuing academic achievement alongside athletic competition
"Winning in the classroom is the greatest victory at our HBCUs," said Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker. "The Dr. Freddie Vaughn Highest Team Academic Awards reflect the important balance between academic and athletic success and demonstrate our institutions' commitment not only to athletics, but also to the academic achievement of our student-athletes. This award is not just a team achievement; it is a university achievement that represents the discipline, dedication, and collective effort of students, coaches, faculty, academic support staff, and campus communities across the CIAA. We proudly celebrate their outstanding accomplishments."
The 2025–2026 recipients represent institutions from across the conference whose student athletes exemplified the CIAA's mission of excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service.
2025–2026 Dr. Freddie Vaughn Highest Team Academic Award Recipients
|
Sport
|
Institution
|
Team GPA
|
|
Men's Basketball
|
Lincoln University
|
3.369
|
|
Women's Basketball
|
Virginia Union University
|
3.530
|
|
Bowling
|
Shaw University
|
3.737
|
|
Men's Cross Country
|
Livingstone College
|
3.817
|
|
Women's Cross Country
|
Fayetteville State University
|
3.786
|
|
Football
|
Livingstone College
|
3.141
|
|
Golf
|
Virginia State University
|
3.820
|
|
Men's Indoor Track & Field
|
Livingstone College
|
3.397
|
|
Women's Indoor Track & Field
|
Livingstone College
|
3.481
|
|
Men's Outdoor Track & Field
|
Livingstone College
|
3.390
|
|
Women's Outdoor Track & Field
|
Shaw University
|
3.586
|
|
Softball
|
Claflin University
|
3.460
|
|
Women's Tennis
|
Bluefield State University
|
3.615
|
|
Volleyball
|
Livingstone College
|
3.609
|
Leading this year's honorees was Livingstone College, which earned conference best team GPAs in six sports, including football, men's cross country, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
The CIAA congratulates each institution, student athlete, coach, and academic support professional whose dedication to academic achievement continues to raise the standard of excellence across the conference.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff | abutzlaff@theciaa.com
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.