By: Kristen Jadin, NYSPHSAA Assistant Director

LATHAM, NY - The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc. (NYSPHSAA) announces its Spring 2026 Scholar-Athlete teams and number of Scholar-Athlete individuals, recognizing student-athletes across New York State for their commitment to excellence in both the classroom and interscholastic athletic competition. 

Finishing out the 33rd year of the program, NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete continues to celebrate the achievements of student-athletes who demonstrate that academic success and athletic participation go hand in hand. To earn Scholar-Athlete Team recognition, at least 75 percent of a team's roster must achieve an average cumulative GPA of 90 or above during the spring marking period. Individual Scholar-Athlete recognition is awarded to student-athletes who earn a GPA of 90 or above for the marking period, regardless of whether their team qualifies for the team award. 

This spring, 3,182 teams earned NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team recognition, while 48,767 student-athletes were honored as Scholar-Athlete individuals across the state. 

"Congratulations to all of the student-athletes recognized through the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Program," said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. "These students have demonstrated tremendous dedication and discipline by excelling in the classroom while competing in interscholastic athletics. Their accomplishments reflect the values that educational athletics strive to promote every day." 

The Spring 2026 Scholar-Athlete Team list can be found here. 

The number of Scholar-Athlete individuals by team can be found here. 

Each season, member schools submit Scholar-Athlete information through the NYSPHSAA website. During the 2025-26 school year, a total of 10,739 teams and 142,594 student-athletes earned Scholar-Athlete recognition through the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons. 

School of Excellence and School of Distinction honors, which recognize schools for outstanding overall academic achievement among their varsity athletic programs, will be announced later this summer. Schools must apply to be considered for these honors. The deadline to apply is June 30th.  

For more information on the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Program, visit www.nysphsaa.org.