July 21, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame had six of its 21 teams that compete in BIG EAST sports recognized with the 2007-08 BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards recognizing the highest collective grade averages in each conference sport. The Fighting Irish men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field teams were all recipients of the inaugural awards.

Notre Dame led the way with a total of six teams honored, while eight BIG EAST schools had at least one team honored. Cincinnati was second with five teams recognized, followed by DePaul (four), Seton Hall (three), Syracuse (two) and Louisville and Rutgers with one each. The winners were chosen based on the 2007-08 grade-point average of each student-athlete that appears on an institution’s squad list in a particular sport.

In addition to having the highest combined grade point average, the Irish men’s tennis, women’s tennis and men’s outdoor track and field teams also won BIG EAST Championships as Notre Dame won seven during the ’07-’08 school year. Twenty of Notre Dame’s 21 BIG EAST teams earned a better than 3.00 cumulative grade point average during the past academic year.

The women’s tennis team finished with 3.496, the highest of any Irish squad, while the men’s tennis team earned a 3.411. The men’s outdoor track and field team registered a 3.228 while the women’s lacrosse team, which finished second in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings, tied with Rutgers with a cumulative 3.176 grade index.

The men’s basketball tied with tied with Louisville for second in the regular-season standings, finished with a 3.097, while men’s indoor track and field teams finished with a 3.228.

2007-08 BIG EAST Team Excellence Award WinnersBaseball - GeorgetownMen's Basketball - NOTRE DAMEWomen's Basketball - DePaulMen's Cross Country - CincinnatiWomen's Cross Country - DePaulField Hockey - LouisvilleFootball - CincinnatiMen's Golf - Seton HallWomen's Golf - CincinnatiWomen's Lacrosse - NOTRE DAME and RutgersWomen's Rowing - GeorgetownMen's Soccer - DePaulWomen's Soccer - Seton HallSoftball - Seton HallMen's Swimming and Diving - GeorgetownWomen's Swimming and Diving - CincinnatiMen's Tennis - NOTRE DAMEWomen's Tennis - NOTRE DAME and DePaulMen's Indoor Track and Field - NOTRE DAMEWomen's Indoor Track and Field - CincinnatiMen's Outdoor Track and Field - NOTRE DAMEWomen's Outdoor Track and Field - SyracuseVolleyball - Syracuse