Concordia University Irvine has been named the 2026 NCAA Division II Team IMPACT campus of the year, announced at the 2026 Team IMPACT Fellowship Summit in Boston in late July.

Concordia shared the podium with Division I winner Kent State and Division III honoree Swarthmore College.

Every year, the Team IMPACT Fellowship Program brings together student-athletes from across the country who are committed to making a difference far beyond the scoreboard. Through leadership, service, and a shared belief in the power of inclusion, their Fellows help strengthen the connection between college athletics and children facing serious illness and disability.

Concordia has continued to build a strong culture of service and inclusion, led by Fellow Mattie Prior from the volleyball team, who was also the PacWest Conference SAAC President in 2025-26.

"Mattie’s leadership has helped strengthen Team IMPACT’s presence on campus while encouraging teammates and fellow student-athletes to embrace the life-changing relationships that define their mission," Team IMPACT said in a release.

Mattie spearheaded the Sunset Beach 5K in line with Team IMPACT’s All In 5K, rallied other student-athletes to raise critical funds for Team IMPACT, and created new opportunities for meaningful on-campus interactions for families and teams. Through intentional leadership and a genuine commitment to creating belonging, Concordia has become a model for how one passionate leader can inspire an entire athletic department.

For children and families, the program provides connection, inclusion and joy during challenging circumstances. For student-athletes, it creates opportunities to lead with empathy, serve their communities and better understand the platform they have through college sports.

"We are so proud of our student-athletes and coaches," said Concordia VP of Athletics Crystal Rosenthal. "Team IMPACT truly is a great organization to be a part of and we want to help make a difference any way that we can. 

"We especially want to thank Mattie Prior and our SAAC reps that helped strengthen this relationship," added Rosenthal.

To see the Team IMPACT announcement, which includes Division I winner Kent State and Division III winner Swarthmore’s accomplishments, click here. For more information on the NCAA and Team IMPACT, click here.