Coconino News

Northern Arizona University (NAU) Athletics has retained the Big Sky Conference Presidents' Cup, as announced by the league office. This marks NAU's fifth Presidents' Cup victory, tying with Weber State for the most in conference history. The Lumberjacks have now won back-to-back Cups twice, previously achieving this in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

"The dedication to competitive and academic excellence by NAU student-athletes, coaches and staff is a source of pride for many," stated Mike Marlow, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at NAU. He added that the recognition as Presidents' Cup winner acknowledges their commitment to high achievement.

The Presidents' Cup rewards schools excelling both academically and athletically. Athletic performance is measured through regular-season standings in eight of the league's sports. Points are awarded based on team finishes at Big Sky Championships across several sports categories.

Academically, the criteria include each institution's academic progress rate (APR) from the previous year and current year's team grade point averages in Big Sky sponsored sports.

"Winning the Big Sky Presidents' Cup for the second year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment," said NAU President Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera. He emphasized that despite other significant achievements by student-athletes this year, this trophy holds special meaning for him and the university community.

In athletic terms, NAU secured eight Big Sky Championships during 2021-22, with five titles coming from women's teams. These victories contributed to winning their second consecutive and 10th all-time Big Sky Women's All-Sport Trophy.

On academics, NAU student-athletes achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.3085 for 2021-22, with five teams attaining GPAs of 3.50 or higher. The department received 180 Big Sky All-Academic awards and recorded top Academic Progress Rates in the conference.