Forty-Five Utah Utes Earn 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Honors

IRVING, Texas – A total of 45 student-athletes from the Utah Utes’ four fall sports programs were recognized this week for their academic accomplishments with inclusion on the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team. The honors included student-athletes from Utah’s women’s cross-country, football, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball programs.
 
The fall 2024 semester was Utah’s third-best all-time in terms of average student-athlete GPA, recording an overall average of 3.402. It was the department’s best for a fall semester, ranking behind only the 3.573 figure from Spring 2020 and the 3.427 GPA from Spring 2021. Utah Athletics has now achieved 37 consecutive semesters with a departmental GPA of 3.00 or higher.
 
The record-setting GPAs continue to parallel the department’s tremendous success in NCAA graduation rates. Utah tied its highest figure in the NCAA’s GSR with a score of 95-percent in the most recent report posted in November. It marked the sixth consecutive year that Utah’s score has met or exceeded the 93-percent benchmark, and tied for the second-highest mark among all public institutions in power conferences.

The tremendous academic success comes alongside the Utes’ accomplishments in competition. The fall 2024 highlights include:

• The volleyball program returned to the NCAA tournament and earned the right to host the first and second rounds at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. That capped a fantastic season that saw the Utes reach as high as No. 17 in the AVCA rankings, finish third in the Big 12, and record 25 wins—the program’s most since 2008;
• The women’s cross-country program finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships for the third year in a row;
• The soccer program earned its highest winning percentage since 2016 and finished with a winning record in its first year in the Big 12 Conference;
• The football program saw a number of student-athletes earn postseason honors, including sophomore tackle Spencer Fano, who was named All-America.

To qualify for the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 GPA or higher either cumulative or over the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20% of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their…