KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Northern Illinois University men's soccer program has received the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2025-26 academic year, announced by the organization on Friday (Aug. 7). 

The Huskies posted a 3.39 team grade point average to earn the award for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. 

Four Huskies were named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team while NIU also had four Academic All-District honorees from the College Sports Communicators. 

The United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award was instituted in 1996. To qualify, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible.

NIU men's soccer will host William Penn in an exhibition contest on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 5 p.m., and will visit Saint Louis for an exhibition on Saturday, Aug. 15, before opening the regular season at Butler on Thursday, Aug. 20, in Indianapolis, Ind.