INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For a second straight year, San Francisco State has been named a finalist for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.
Division II has named 26 schools and one conference as finalists for the 2026 Award of Excellence. This award highlights initiatives that exemplify the Division II philosophy of community engagement and student-athlete leadership.
"This award is dedicated to all the supporters of Athletics, here at SF State," stated SAAC advisor Paula Hsieh. "Through the support of staff, faculty, outside stakeholders, and especially our fellow students, we were able to come together to save Athletics at SF State through their acts of love, from speaking about how Athletics has impacted them, to holding meetings and fundraisers, to building alliances, this award truly belongs to our supporters. I thank our community for their continued support."
The overall finalists were chosen by a committee of athletics administrators and the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, with the SAAC members ultimately selecting the top three finalists. Those honorees, including the winner, will be announced at the Division II business session this month at the 2026 NCAA Convention in the Washington, D.C., area.
Each finalist will receive $750. The winner will receive $3,000, with the second-place finisher getting $1,750 and the third-place finisher awarded $1,500. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC programming or community engagement events.
The theme of the Gators community engagement was Act of Love. San Francisco State launched a campus wide effort to save its programs after facing a system budget crisis and the potential elimination of athletics. Student-athletes, SAAC leaders, administrators and the Associated Students organization collaborated to advocate for a student fee increase, leveraging social media campaigns, meetings and campus engagement. Increased game attendance and a formal statement of support from Associated Students helped secure funding and preserve athletics at the school.
