NORMAN, Okla. – The 2025-26 PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award recipients have been announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The achievement stands as the ninth consecutive for the Kentucky Wesleyan College men's golf team who also received President's Special Recognition. 

This season 27 NCAA Division II schools surpassed a 3.5 GPA. For the fourth time in as many years, the Panthers ranked among the nation's elite teams with a 3.61 Team GPA. In total 66 programs across the Division achieved over a 3.0 GPA including five schools from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. 

"I am proud of our team," said Head Coach Ken Badylak. "Over the years the players have made academic excellence a standard for the program. We understand it will not always be easy, but they have been willing to put in the work to represent themselves, their teammates, and Kentucky Wesleyan. I feel their efforts is representative of the Wesleyan Way."

Maryland Eastern Shore (NCAA Division I), Virginia State (NCAA Division II), Bowdoin (NCAA Division III), Texas A&M-San Antonio (NAIA), Iowa Western (NJCAA Division I), Kirkwood (NJCAA Division II), and Maryland Eastern Shore (HBCU) were all named 2025-26 GCAA Academic National Champions for finishing with the top GPA in their respective divisions.

A GCAA-record 333 schools across six divisions earned a PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award. 157 schools received Presidents Special Recognition for having an average team GPA of 3.5 or above in 2025-26.

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