The NCAA proudly announces the recipients of its 2026 NCAA Honors, recognizing extraordinary current and former student-athletes, coaches and administrators whose achievements exemplify the spirit and values of collegiate athletics.Â
This year's honorees span a wide range of sports, backgrounds and accomplishments, united by their commitment to leadership, resilience and service.
The honorees will be celebrated at the NCAA Convention in January in the Washington, D.C., area.
Basketball legend and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo, a former basketball student-athlete at Georgetown, posthumously receives the NCAA's highest honor for his lifelong dedication to global health and education. In Mutombo's collegiate career at Georgetown, he earned two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and All-America honors, and he helped lead the Hoyas to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance. Throughout his 18-year Hall of Fame career in the NBA, Mutombo founded a $29 million hospital in Kinshasa, Congo, through his foundation, served as the NBA's first global ambassador, and received numerous honors — including the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award — for his tireless advocacy for health, education and equity worldwide. Mutombo died Sept. 30, 2024, at age 58 from brain cancer.
The Theodore Roosevelt Award is the highest honor the NCAA may confer on an individual. This award is presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishment who exemplifies the ideals of collegiate athletics and amateur sports competitions.
Woman of the Year:Â Samantha Schott, The University of Texas at Tyler softball
Samantha Schott, a softball student-athlete at The University of Texas at Tyler, is honored as the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year for her athletic and academic excellence, leadership and community service. Schott helped UT Tyler secure back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships, earned first-team All-Region honors, won two Lone Star Conference Golden Glove awards and set the school record for sacrifice hits. Academically, Schott graduated summa cum laude from the Honors College and was recognized with the NCAA Elite 90 award, honoring the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each NCAA championship finals site. Her commitment to service is equally impressive, mentoring youth through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteering in Guatemala with medical missions and supporting programs like the Special Olympics and the East Texas Food Bank.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. A record-breaking 631 nominees were submitted by member schools for this prestigious award.
Marking 25 years since the conclusion of their college sports careers, these distinguished alumni are recognized for continued excellence. The Silver Anniversary Award celebrates the achievements and contributions of former student-athletes who have excelled in their professional lives and continue to exemplify the values of collegiate athletics.
Drew Brees, Purdue football
Drew Brees, a Super Bowl MVP and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and second in touchdown passes after a legendary 20-year career. At Purdue, Brees rewrote the record books and led the Boilermakers to the 2000 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance, earning national accolades for both athletic and academic excellence. Off the field, Brees and his wife, Brittany, have donated over $50 million through their foundation, championing causes for children, families and cancer patients. His enduring legacy includes his philanthropic impact, military support through USO tours and transformative contributions to Purdue.
Tamika Catchings, Tennessee women's basketball
Tamika Catchings' career redefined excellence in women's basketball. As one of only two four-time Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Americans in Lady Vols history, she led Tennessee to an undefeated national championship season and amassed over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her college career. Her professional career with the Indiana Fever was equally dominant: She earned five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honors and retired as the league's all-time leader in steals and free throws. She also won four Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. women's national team. Off the court, she founded the Catch the Stars Foundation to empower underserved youth in Indianapolis, received the ESPN Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award and served as a front-office executive, broadcaster and global ambassador for the sport.
Dr. Lauren Witmer, Millersville women's tennis
Dr. Lauren Witmer followed an impressive college tennis career with a remarkable career in medicine. As a student-athlete at Millersville, Witmer was a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year and four-time conference singles and doubles champion. She led her team to four PSAC titles and four NCAA championships appearances, setting a school record with 107 doubles wins. After earning her medical degree, she became a board-certified urogynecologist and now serves as division chief and managing physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, where she was named a 2024 Physician of the Year. Her commitment to global health is evident in her medical mission work in Guatemala, and her legacy in tennis continues through her induction into the Lancaster County Tennis Hall of Fame and recognition by the U.S. Tennis Association.
Nick Ackerman, Simpson men's wrestling
Nick Ackerman earned this award through a groundbreaking athletic achievement and a lifelong commitment to advocacy, mentorship and medical excellence. As a Simpson wrestler in 2001, he defeated the defending champion at 174 pounds to become the first NCAA athlete to win a national wrestling title without the use of his legs, which were amputated just below the knees when he was a toddler. His victory is considered one of the most dramatic in NCAA history and was selected in 2006 as one of the "25 Defining Moments in NCAA History." Since then, Ackerman has built a distinguished career as a prosthetist, led legislative efforts like Iowa's Prosthetic Parity Law, mentored youth and veterans, and inspired thousands through his speaking and service.
Gerald R. Ford Award:Â Charlene Curtis, Radford women's basketball
Trailblazing coach and advocate Charlene Curtis is being honored posthumously for her transformative impact on diversity and inclusion in college athletics. Curtis became the first African American women's basketball head coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference, coaching at Wake Forest from 1997-2004 after stops at Temple and Radford. At her alma mater, Radford, she led the team to four Big South regular-season titles and three tournament championships. As an assistant coach at UConn, she helped guide the Huskies to a perfect 35-0 season under Geno Auriemma. Beyond coaching, she transformed officiating in the ACC by expanding staff, introducing instant replay and creating standardized training clinics, leaving a legacy of excellence and inclusion. She died from cancer Aug. 18, 2022.
The Gerald R. Ford Award honors an individual who has provided significant leadership as an advocate for intercollegiate athletics throughout the individual's career.Â
Fencing icon and mentor Nikki Franke, a former fencing student-athlete at Brooklyn and coach at Temple, is recognized for her 50-year coaching career that transformed Temple fencing into a national powerhouse and a model of student-athlete development. As the all-time winningest women's athletics coach at Temple, she amassed 898 victories, led the Owls to the 1992 NCAA women's foil team championship and guided the program to 26 consecutive National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association Championships titles. Under Franke, Temple fencers earned 66 NCAA selections and 35 All-America honors.Â
An Olympian and four-time National Coach of the Year, Franke also broke barriers as the first woman of color to win an NCAA team title in fencing. Her legacy extends far beyond the strip. Through her mentorship, advocacy for Title IX and co-founding of the Black Women in Sport Foundation, she empowered generations of women to lead, serve and succeed in sport and life.
The Pat Summitt Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated devotion to the development of college athletes and made a positive impact on their lives.Â
Inspiration Award: Francesca "Frankie" Loiseau, Marymount (Virginia) women's tennis
Francesca Loiseau, tennis student-athlete at Marymount (Virginia), is honored for inspiring others through her strength, determination and advocacy after she suffered a spontaneous brain bleed, leaving her paralyzed on her left side and requiring emergency surgery and months of intensive rehabilitation. Despite facing immense physical and emotional challenges, including relearning how to walk, care for herself and manage seizures, Loiseau returned to Marymount as a full-time student and, in March 2025, competed in her first collegiate tennis match since the incident.Â
The NCAA Inspiration Award honors those who used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome a life-altering situation and become role models, giving hope and inspiration to others.
Award of Valor:Â Alex Guerra, Radford baseballÂ
Alex Guerra, a former student-athlete and current baseball coach at Radford, is celebrated for his extraordinary courage and perseverance in the face of adversity. In September 2024, Guerra responded to cries for help from a university student whose friend had become unconscious after falling into a river. Guerra sprinted to the river, leaped down a steep bank and swam out to assist. Together, the two men pulled the student to safety, where he regained consciousness. The student was later hospitalized but made a full recovery, thanks to Guerra's heroic actions.
The NCAA Award of Valor may be presented to an individual who, when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery. The award may go to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics or to a current or former varsity letter winner at an NCAA school.
The Impact Award celebrates the best of college athletics by honoring one exceptional male and one exceptional female senior student-athlete from each division. These honorees exemplify the highest standards of athletic excellence, academic achievement and service to their campuses and communities. The NCAA Impact Award represents the pinnacle of student-athlete recognition.
Division I
Mia Levy, Yale rowing
As captain of the women's rowing team, Mia Levy led the varsity eight boat to a 2025 NCAA title as Yale finished as national runner-up. Levy earned Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Athlete of the Year and first-team All-America honors. Levy was a Top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. A two-time world champion with Team USA, Levy also was co-president of Yale's chapter of Athlete Ally, tutored incarcerated students through the Yale Prison Education Initiative and interned with New Haven Public Schools to support educators of color.
Micaylon Moore, Nebraska men's indoor and outdoor track and field
Micaylon Moore won multiple U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors in the triple jump, including two first-team selections, and finished second at the 2025 indoor championships. Moore earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was named Nebraska's Most Outstanding Male Student-Athlete in 2025. Academically, Moore earned the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award and was a semifinalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award. He received multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, including first-team recognition in 2025. Beyond the track, he co-founded Husker Healers, for student-athletes interested in health care careers, and the Black Student-Athlete Association. He served six years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered at over 200 community events.
Division II
Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce women's soccer
Aino Martikainen earned national recognition as a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-American and two-time Division II Conference Commissioners Association first-team All-American. On the field, she was a three-time first-team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection, was twice named NE10 Defender of the Year and helped lead her team to multiple postseason appearances. Off the field, she supported mental health initiatives, mentored peers and contributed to campus life through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her academic awards include multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, including two first-team recognitions, and the NE10 Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence.
Brayden Long, Slippery Rock football
A two-time national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy and the 2025 College Sports Communicator Division II Academic All-American of the Year, Brayden Long also led the football team as a two-time captain, setting school records in career completions and completion percentage. He became the only football player in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history to win both the Champion Scholar and Athlete of the Year awards. Off the field, he maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and served his community through youth sports, the Special Olympics and campus ministry.
Division III
Ella Brissett, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis
A two-time NCAA Division III women's tennis champion and two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American in doubles, Ella Brissett also earned first-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, the Division III ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honors. Academically, she was named a 2025 College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-American and conducted award-winning thesis research on health disparities and women's health. Brissett also founded the Women's Empowerment in Sports Club, led Title IX workshops, mentored underrepresented students in STEM and volunteered in clinical and community health settings.
Matthew Wrather, John Carroll football
Matthew Wrather finished his career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Division III football. A two-time first-team Academic All-American and American Football Coaches Association All-American, Wrather was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his excellence in athletics, academics and service. A team captain and semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, he also co-founded the John Carroll Student Alumni Association, mentoring youth through the Son of a Saint and Carroll Ballers programs and helping to organize campuswide service events like the Jesuit Day of Service.
