The IBCA is continuing its Academic Awards programs for 2026-27. That includes the IBCA Team Academic Award, which was new in 2026, as well as the IBCA individual Academic All-State program that dates to 1973 for boys and 1980 for girls. The IBCA is proud to honor teams and individuals who excel in the classroom and show the true meaning of student-athlete.
The deadline to complete the online nomination for both honors, Team Academic All-State and Individual Academic All-State, is Feb. 16, 2027. The criteria for each honor, team and individual, is listed below.
Criteria for the IBCA Team Academic Award
Total team GPA must be 3.50 or higher based on cumulative GPAs.
GPAs must be converted to a 4.00 scale.
GPAs must be rounded to two decimal places for each player (e.g., 3.95).
List the GPAs of all players on the team's Official Sectional roster (could be as many as 18 players, regardless of whether they dress for “sectional” games). Use Cumulative GPAs for the Indiana Team Academic Awards.
For seniors, include a seven-semester cumulative; juniors, a five-semester cumulative; sophomores, a three-semester cumulative; and freshmen, only the first-semester GPA for schools using dual semesters.
For schools using trimesters: for seniors, include a ten-trimester cumulative; juniors, a seven-trimester cumulative; sophomores, a four-trimester cumulative; and freshmen, only the first-trimester GPA.
In 2026, 128 teams – 29 boys’ teams and 99 girls’ teams – received inaugural IBCA Team Academic All-State recognition.
The deadline to complete the online 2027 Team Academic Award nomination is Feb. 16, 2027.
Criteria for IBCA individual Academic All-State
Must be a senior player who contributes to the varsity team and graduates in 2027.
Must have a GPA of 3.50 or better on a 4.0 scale.
Must have an SAT score of 1100 or better (on reading and math sections) or an ACT composite score of 24 or better.
Must rank in the top 25 percent of the school’s graduating class (if school does class rank).
Must be a good citizen.
In 2026, 510 senior players – 283 boys and 227 girls – received either IBCA first-team Academic All-State or IBCA honorable mention Academic All-State in the individual academic program.
The deadline to complete the online 2027 individual Academic All-State nomination is Feb. 16, 2027.
