ITA Recognizes NCAA Division III Academic Excellence for 2023-24 Season

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has officially recognized the outstanding academic performance of NCAA Division III tennis programs, naming 125 men’s teams and 172 women’s teams as 2023-24 ITA All-Academic Teams. To qualify for this distinction, programs must maintain a collective grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher for the entire academic year, with all varsity letterwinners factored into the cumulative average, according to the official ITA announcement.

Criteria for ITA Scholar-Athlete Honors

Beyond team-wide success, the ITA also bestowed individual honors upon student-athletes who demonstrated rigorous academic commitment. To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a student must meet specific institutional and academic benchmarks set by the association. According to ITA award criteria, candidates must possess a varsity letter and hold a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the current academic year. These individual awards highlight the balance required of Division III athletes, who must navigate intense training schedules alongside full-time undergraduate course loads.

Academic Performance Across Division III Tennis

The 2023-24 cycle saw widespread participation, with over 1,000 individual student-athletes from the Division III level earning Scholar-Athlete status. The ITA tracks these metrics annually to encourage academic integrity within collegiate athletics. While Division III institutions do not offer athletic scholarships, the emphasis on the “student” in “student-athlete” remains a core component of the division’s mission, as outlined by the NCAA Division III philosophy.

Comparison: Team vs. Individual Recognition

Why Academic Benchmarking Matters

These awards serve as a formal recognition of the time-management skills developed by tennis players during their collegiate careers. By maintaining a 3.2 team GPA, programs demonstrate that athletic travel, practice, and competition schedules do not preclude high-level academic achievement. The ITA’s data reporting provides a transparent look at how student-athletes perform in the classroom compared to the general student body at their respective universities. Moving forward, the ITA will continue to release these annual lists to incentivize academic excellence across all divisions, including the upcoming 2025-26 cycle as programs finalize their academic reporting.