INDIANAPOLIS — For the third time since 2021, AUM was chosen as a Division II Award of Excellence finalist. This award honors the community initiatives of schools and conferences that exemplify the Division II philosophy of community engagement and student-athlete leadership.
OFFICIAL RELEASE
The NCAA named 26 schools and one conference as finalists for the 2026 Award of Excellence, which included three at large honorees.
AUM's initiative with YMCA TOPSoccer and Dream Court was picked as the Gulf South Conference's honoree. The partnership involved over 45 student-athletes from AUM who volunteered for more than 500 hours to support adaptive sports programs for local youth with physical and intellectual disabilities. AUM student-athletes assisted with soccer and tennis activities that promoted inclusion and confidence at seasonal events and through ongoing engagement with families in Montgomery.
The overall finalists were chosen by a committee of athletics administrators and the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), with the SAAC members ultimately selecting the top three finalists. Those honorees, including the winner, will be announced at the Division II business session this month at the 2026 NCAA Convention in the Washington, D.C., area.
Each finalist will receive $750. The winner will receive $3,000, with the second-place finisher getting $1,750 and the third-place finisher awarded $1,500. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC programming or community engagement events.
Past Finalists & Winners from GSC
2014: Christian Brothers, "CBU Deckhands"
2015: Shorter, "Caring is Never a Challenge"
2016: Lee, "Volley for a Cure: Real Heroes Wear Pink"
2017: North Alabama, "Connect1"
2018: n/a
2019: Montevallo, "Halloween Spooktacular"
2020: n/a
2021: Auburn Montgomery, "Special Olympics Basketball State Championship"
2022: Alabama Huntsville, "Junior Chargers Bedtime Stories"
2023: n/a
2024: Alabama Huntsville, "One Love" & Auburn Montgomery "Serving Hope, Changing Lives"
2025: Alabama Huntsville, "Sleep in Heavenly Peace"
2026: AUM, "TOPSoccer and Dream Court"
winner in Bold Italics