The University of Connecticut has been named the winner of the BIG EAST Presidents' Award for the 2023-24 academic year. The conference honor, which was established by the league's Presidents in 2015, is awarded to the BIG EAST institution that has excelled at the highest levels in academics, athletics and citizenship during the previous academic year.  

A selection committee of athletic and academic administrators from each BIG EAST institution selected UConn for the award. Each nominating school provides the selection committee with comprehensive information that highlights its accomplishments in all three areas.

"BIG EAST schools have long combined academic and athletic success with active involvement in their communities, and we congratulate UConn's student-athletes for their exceptional performance in all of these areas during the 2023-24 school year," said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. "We commend President Radenka Maric, Athletics Director David Benedict, and UConn's outstanding coaches, staff and administrators for their commitment to develop all sides of Huskies' athletes and to equip these extraordinary young people to contribute meaningfully to society when their playing days come to a close."

"Our student-athletes are an immense source of pride for all of Connecticut. They are leaders and role models every day in competition, in the classroom, and in the community," UConn President Radenka Maric says.

"They bring a championship mindset not only to their teams, but also to maintaining high academic standards, engaging in research, and inspiring fellow students to pursue their goals with energy and enthusiasm," she adds. "We thank the BIG EAST for recognizing UConn with its Presidents' Award, and we especially thank our student-athletes for being such incredible ambassadors for UConn Nation."

"We are incredibly honored to receive the BIG EAST Presidents' Award," said David Benedict, UConn Director of Athletics. "This award recognized the outstanding accomplishments of our student-athletes who regularly perform at the top of their game in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.  The award is also a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our coaches and support staffs, who work tirelessly to ensure the success of our athletics program.  This is an honor that is shared by our entire UConn community."

The following are the highlights of UConn's excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship for the 2023-24 academic year.

Academics – UConn achieved an overall single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 992 with 12 BIG EAST-sponsored teams posting a perfect single-year score of 1,000, which included baseball, men's basketball, men's golf, men's track and field, women's basketball, women's cross country, field hockey, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, women's tennis and women's volleyball. 

Sixteen of UConn's 17 BIG EAST sponsored teams achieved a semester GPA of over 3.0 during the 2023 fall or 2024 spring semesters. Additionally, 38 BIG EAST student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in the fall and another 58 earned a 4.0 in the spring. 

UConn posted an overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) score of 94 percent. Nine BIG EAST-sponsored teams posted a perfect GSR of 100 percent. UConn had 238 student-athletes named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team along with several institutional, regional and national academic awards. 

Team Athletic Accomplishments – UConn teams won three BIG EAST regular season titles, including baseball, men's basketball and women's basketball. Six teams won BIG EAST Championship titles, including men's basketball, men's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field, women's basketball, women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. 

The men's basketball team reached the pinnacle when it became NCAA National Champions for a second straight year. The women's basketball team made its 23^rd Final Four appearance. The baseball team also earned an NCAA Tournament bid.

Four individuals from the men's and women's outdoor track & field teams qualified for NCAA Championships. Seven coaches or coaching staffs were recognized with BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors, including men's basketball, women's basketball, women's swimming & diving, men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track & field, women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. Head men's basketball coach Dan Hurley was recognized as the Naismith College Coach of the Year. 

Citizenship –- In the community, UConn student-athletes engaged in numerous service initiatives. Some of the initiatives included work with the Team Impact organization, in which seven teams are matched with a child who is faced with a serious illness or disability. In addition, UConn athletics has formed a long-term partnership with local schools through the Husky Reach and Goal Line Project programs. During the 2023-24 academic year, 85 student-athlete volunteers who represented 10 varsity teams participated.

The Goal Line Project supports the academic and personal development of middle school students in the local community. UConn student-athletes visit schools where they focus on topics such as conflict resolution and effective communication.

The Husky Reach Program involves student-athletes visiting elementary school classrooms to read to students and share insights on their experiences as college student-athletes. Individual teams also participated in team-specific service initiatives on various causes, including mental health, cancer awareness and sexual violence prevention.

The UConn SAAC Committee is led by the UConn and BIG EAST SAAC President, Ainsley Svetek. The Committee met bi-weekly throughout the academic year. 

UConn student-athletes were also active attending leadership events, including the 2024 NCAA Inclusion Forum, the NCAA Career In Sports Forum, the 2024 Black Student-Athlete Summitt and the 2024 BIG EAST Well-Being Forum.

The BIG EAST:

The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments.  The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men's and women's teams in 22 sports.  Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in eight of the country's top 38 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.  For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.