DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference announced on Thursday that Utah Valley University and Seattle University have earned the WAC Excellence Award for the 2020-21 academic year.
 
The award is determined by a point system and presented to the institution that performs the best in the following areas: the average grade-point average (GPA) for each undergraduate student-athlete, the average GPA of each undergraduate student-body compared to the average GPA of an institution's student-athletes and the most recent two-year average of institutional Academic Progress Rate scores. 
 
UVU's average GPA of 3.33 across 16 varsity sports helped them earn the honor. Additionally, the Wolverines student-athlete GPA is 0.16 points higher than the average Utah Valley undergraduate student. UVU also turned in an average APR score of 987 to earn the award.
 
Seattle U garnered recognition by posting an average GPA of 3.40 across all 20 varsity sports to also receive the award. The Redhawks also posted an impressive two-year average of APR scores at 989 out of 1000.
 
The honor marks the second straight year the Redhawks have received the WAC Academic Excellence Award and the first in program history for the Wolverines. The 2020-21 campaign marked the fifth year that the WAC has handed out the award.