SPOKANE, Wash. (July 24, 2022) – After another banner year, Northern Arizona University Athletics ensured that the Big Sky Conference Presidents' Cup will remain in Flagstaff following an announcement by the league office on Sunday. NAU's successful defense of the Presidents' Cup is the Lumberjacks' fifth all-time, tying Weber State for the most in conference history.
It marks the second time that NAU has won back-to-back Presidents' Cups after doing so in 2012-13 and 2013-14. With four of the department's five Presidents' Cups coming in the last 10 years, the Lumberjacks have won more Cups in the past decade than any other institution.
"The dedication to competitive and academic excellence by NAU student-athletes, coaches and staff is a source of pride for many," said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
Mike Marlow. "Recognition as the Presidents' Cup winner is an opportunity for them to be publicly acknowledged for their commitment to high achievement. Congratulations to the student-athletes who wear the Blue and Gold and the coaches and staff who play such a critical role in their success."
The Presidents' Cup promotes the Big Sky's commitment to academics and recognizes a member school's overall success in the classroom and athletic competition. It is given annually to the school that excels both academically and athletically and is measure by various categories.
Final regular-season standings in eight of the league's 14 sports make up the athletic portion of the Presidents' Cup criteria. In men's and women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field and golf, points are awarded based on a team's finish at the Big Sky Championships. Schools receive an average point total per sport and then are ranked accordingly.
Meanwhile, the academic portion consists of each institution's academic progress rate (APR) from the previous year, and each team's grade point average in Big Sky sponsored sports for the current year.
"Winning the Big Sky Presidents' Cup for the second year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment," said NAU President Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera. "This year alone our student-athletes have won Division I national championships, conference championships, set national collegiate records and competed in the Olympics, but I can honestly say that this trophy is the most meaningful to me and our university community."
NAU was followed in the Presidents' Cup standings by Idaho and Montana State in second and third respectively.
Athletically, NAU won eight Big Sky Championships in 2021-22 with five coming courtesy of the Lumberjack women's teams. The five women's conference championships propelled NAU to its second consecutive and 10th all-time Big Sky Women's All-Sport Trophy. NAU swept the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field championships with women's tennis and golf adding to the total; not to mention the swimming & diving team's WAC Championship.
Beyond the titles, soccer (tied for third), volleyball (tied for fourth) and women's basketball (tied for fourth) also posted regular season finishes in the upper half of the conference.
On the men's side, NAU placed second in the running for the All-Sport Trophy buoyed by a sweep of the Big Sky Championships in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Men's tennis finished the regular season third in the conference standings.
While excellence in competition was once again at a high, the Lumberjacks matched that in the classroom. NAU student-athletes collectively posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.3085 for the 2021-22 academic year with five teams posting a team GPA of 3.50 or higher this year. The women's cross country team compiled a department-best 3.69 GPA followed by volleyball (3.66), swimming & diving (3.62), men's tennis (3.58) and soccer (3.525).
The Lumberjacks, as a department, had 180 Big Sky All-Academic awards this year. Additionally, the department featured the top Academic Progress Rate in the conference, registering a multiyear Academic Progress rate of 986 and a single-year rate of 990, the highest in NAU Athletics history.
Big Sky Presidents' Cup Annual Winners
2002-03 – Weber State
2003-04 – Weber State
2004-05 – Montana State
2005-06 – Northern Arizona
2006-07 – Montana
2007-08 – Weber State
2008-09 – Weber State
2009-10 – Eastern Washington
2010-11 – Montana
2011-12 – Montana State
2012-13 – Northern Arizona
2013-14 – Northern Arizona
2014-15 – Eastern Washington
2015-16 – Eastern Washington
2016-17 – North Dakota
2017-18 – Eastern Washington
2018-19 – Weber State
2019-20 – Presidents' Cup not awarded
2020-21 – Northern Arizona
2021-22 – Northern Arizona
