Academy of Art has been named the Pacific West Conference finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, one of 22 schools across the country to be honored.

ART U's Hoops with the Troops program was chosen by a panel of athletic administrators from across the country. The Athlete Advisory Committee will select the top three finalists, who will be announced at the Division II business session on Jan. 17 at the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Each finalist will receive $750. In addition, the winner will receive $3,000, the first runner-up will receive $1,750 and the second runner-up will receive $1,500. All prize money is intended to be used for future Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) initiatives or community engagement events.

Now in its fourth year, ART U Hoops With the Troops is a basketball clinic hosted by the Academy of Art men’s and women’s basketball teams in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Marines during San Francisco Fleet Week, which celebrates America’s sea services. The event, held on the USS Tripoli, involved over 160 inner-city youth and included a tour of the ship. The clinic exposed youth to the collegiate student-athlete experience, military life, basketball fundamentals and new career possibilities.

Division II honors its members each year for conducting events that promote student-athletes giving back and serving as leaders within their communities or on their campuses. Twenty-two schools and four conferences were named finalists for the 2025 Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade recognizing initiatives in the past year that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership. 

To read more, click here for the story at artuathletics.com.