IRVING, Texas - Rice University student-athletes combined for an annual GPA of 3.260, giving the Owls their 11th Conference USA Institutional Excellence Award over the past 13 years. The Institutional Excellence Award is given to the C-USA institution with the highest grade point average during the 2017-18 academic year for all student-athletes in conference-sponsored sports.

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The Sport Academic Award is given to the team in each conference-sponsored sport with the highest GPA for the academic year. Seven different Rice teams recorded the highest GPA for their respective sports. Additionally, nine other institutions were recognized.

The following is a list of all the Sports Academic Award honorees:

Sport                                                 Recipient (*repeat winner)                 
Baseball                                            UAB
Men’s Basketball                               *Florida Atlantic
Women’s Basketball                         UAB
Men’s Cross Country                         Louisiana Tech
Women’s Cross Country                   *Rice
Football                                            *Rice
Men’s Golf                                         Rice
Women’s Golf                                   *UTSA
Men’s Soccer                                    *South Carolina #
Women’s Soccer                               *Rice 
Softball                                             *Charlotte
Women’s Swimming                         Rice
Men’s Tennis                                     *Middle Tennessee
Women’s Tennis                               FIU
Men’s Track & Field                          *Rice
Women’s Track & Field                     *Rice
Women’s Volleyball                          WKU                                                
# Affiliate member