By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second year in-a-row Northwest Nazarene University emerged as the top-performing athletic department in the classroom, winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Sports trophy for 2025-26.
The Nighthawks’ athletic teams combined for 143 points within the ranking scale, which was good for a nine-point margin of victory ahead of runner-up Seattle Pacific (134 points). Northwest Nazarene was also the men’s sports academic champion with 61 points, while Seattle Pacific took the women’s sports champion trophy with 84 points.
2025-26 GNAC Academic All-Sports Trophy
Overall Academic Champion: Northwest Nazarene, 143 points
Men’s Academic Champion: Northwest Nazarene, 61 points
Women’s Academic Champion: Seattle Pacific, 84 points
The GNAC Academic All-Sports trophy is awarded upon the conclusion of each academic year based on each team’s cumulative grade point average. Teams are awarded points based on their GPA ranking within their sport, with each school accumulating points associated with its teams’ sport-by-sport rankings.
Overall Team Results
Northwest Nazarene, 143 points; Seattle Pacific, 134 points; Saint Martin’s, 130 points; Western Washington, 126 points; Central Washington, 121 points; Western Oregon, 120 points; Montana State Billings, 92 points; Alaska, 60 points, Alaska Anchorage, 47 points, Simon Fraser, 39 points.
Men’s Team Results
Northwest Nazarene, 61 points, Saint Martin’s, 54 points; Western Oregon, 52 points; Western Washington, 52 points, Seattle Pacific, 50 points, Central Washington, 41 points; Alaska, 30 points; Montana State Billings, 30 points; Alaska Anchorage, 22 points; Simon Fraser, 20 points.
Women’s Team Results
Seattle Pacific, 84 points; Northwest Nazarene, 82 points; Central Washington, 80 points; Saint Martin’s, 76 points; Western Washington, 74 points; Western Oregon, 68 points; Montana State Billings, 62 points; Alaska, 30 points, Alaska Anchorage, 25 points, Simon Fraser, 19 points.
Overall it is the ninth time since the conference was formed in 2001 that Northwest Nazarene has won the overall academic championship. It is the most academic trophies of any GNAC member. It marked the eighth men’s academic title for NNU, while Seattle Pacific claimed its sixth women’s academic title.
WOMEN’S TOP THREE TEAMS BY SPORT
Basketball: Central Washington, 3.73; Montana State Billings, 3.69; Western Washington, 3.52
Cross Country: Seattle Pacific, 3.76; Western Oregon, 3.71; Saint Martin’s, 3.66
Golf: Saint Martin’s, 3.70; Seattle Pacific, 3.68; Northwest Nazarene, 3.62
Rowing: Western Washington, 3.54; Cal Poly Humboldt, 3.45; Central Oklahoma, 3.43
Soccer: Central Washington, 3.80; Seattle Pacific, 3.69; Northwest Nazarene, 3.67
Softball: Montana State Billings, 3.58; Saint Martin’s, 3.58; Western Oregon, 3.57
Track & Field: Northwest Nazarene, 3.64; Seattle Pacific, 3.53; Western Washington, 3.42
Volleyball: Central Washington, 3.71; Western Oregon, 3.68; Alaska, 3.67.
MEN’S TOP THREE TEAMS BY SPORT
Baseball: Montana State Billings, 3.43; Western Oregon, 3.34; Saint Martin’s, 3.27
Basketball: Seattle Pacific, 3.54; Saint Martin’s, 3.44; Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Western Oregon, 3.42
Cross Country: Alaska, 3.57; Western Oregon, 3.53; Northwest Nazarene, 3.52
Golf: Montana State Billings, 3.44; Saint Martin’s, 3.41; Western Washington, 3.25
Soccer: Western Washington, 3.43; Saint Martin’s, 3.38; Northwest Nazarene, 3.36
Track & Field: Northwest Nazarene, 3.35; Seattle Pacific, 3.30; Western Washington, 3.29
Central Washington tied for the most academic team champions with three, taking home trophies in women’s basketball, women’s soccer and volleyball. The Wildcat women’s soccer team had the top grade point average of any team in the GNAC, posting a 3.80 during the 2025-26 academic year. It was the first-ever academic team champion title for the program. It marked the third crown – all coming within the last six years – for the CWU women’s basketball team which had a 3.73 GPA, while its volleyball program won its ninth overall and third in-a-row with a 3.71 GPA.
Montana State Billings also landed three team titles, including softball, baseball and men’s golf. The Yellowjackets won their sixth academic award in baseball, holding a league-leading 3.43 GPA, while men’s golf won its third title with a 3.44 GPA. The Yellowjacket softball team tied for the title with Saint Martin’s, with both programs posting a 3.58 GPA. For MSUB it was the fourth win in softball while for the Saints it was academic title number 10. In addition to the softball win, Saint Martin’s also took home its fourth straight women’s golf award and its GNAC-leading ninth overall as it posted a 3.70 GPA.
Seattle Pacific and Western Washington were the other GNAC programs with multiple sport victories. The Falcons won the race in women’s cross country with a 3.76 GPA, earning their 14th title in that sport and their eighth in the last nine years. SPU also topped the men’s basketball academic charts with a 3.54 GPA, giving the program its GNAC-leading 16th win in that sport. The Vikings won the men’s soccer academic crown with a 3.43 GPA for their third title, while the WWU women’s rowing crew claimed the award for the first time in program history with a 3.54 GPA.
Continuing its academic dominance in men’s cross country, the University of Alaska picked up the team title with a 3.57 GPA in 2025-26. It marked the team’s fifth academic title in the last seven years and its GNAC-leading 12th overall.