IRVING, Texas, July 30, 2025 – The American Conference announced its Team Academic Excellence Awards on Wednesday. The University of South Florida women's basketball team and the women's lacrosse team recorded the highest GPAs in the conference.
 
The women's basketball team recorded a GPA of 3.59. The Bulls earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament after winning the American Conference Tournament. USF won its second American Conference Tournament Championship. The Bulls competed in their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance. Carla Brito was named the American Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Mama Dembele, Vittoria Blasigh, and Brito earned spots on the all-tournament team.
 
The women's lacrosse team produced a 3.74 GPA in its inaugural season. In its first season, the 2025 squad reached the American Conference tournament championship. The Bulls finished ranked 38th in the final NCAA RPI ranking. Sofia Chepenik, Kaitlyn Tartaglione, Kali Cleary, Juliana George, and Mikaela Ness earned all-conference honors.
 
Nominations for the All-Academic Team are submitted by each of the American's member institutions. To be eligible for the honor, a nominee must have competed in an American-sponsored sport, attained a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 for the preceding academic year, and completed a minimum of two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters of academic work, with a total of 18 semester or 27 quarter credits, not including remedial courses.
 
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, will enter its 60^th season in 2025-26.
 
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Hospital Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 154 conference titles across 16 sports, with 82 men's championships and 72 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American in 2013, USF has secured 36 conference team titles. USF has also claimed 17 national championships, including three individual titles since 2023, in track and field.
 
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 21 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above as of spring 2025. Since 2015, more than 800 Bulls have earned their degrees.
 
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Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the USF Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
 
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