Nicole Krumholz, Special to The Denisonian–

Denison Athletics received the NCAC (North Coast Athletic Conference) All-Sports award this past year. The Big Red have won the title a total of 21 times since joining the NCAC, with this being the sixth consecutive. 

“What’s great about the All-Sports trophy is it’s not just one sport, but it’s how competitive we are [as a whole],” President Adam Weinberg said. 

This award is presented to the institution in the NCAC with the best overall record in the 23 varsity sports recognized by the conference. Denison has more All-Sports trophies than any of the other active eight universities and colleges in the NCAC.

To achieve the honor in the 2024-2025 athletic year, Denison’s volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, baseball, men’s basketball and men’s tennis programs all brought home conference titles – amounting to more collective championships than any other school in the conference. 

Additionally, both the men’s and women’s swim and dive teams, as well as the men’s tennis team and baseball team competed in the Division III national championships during the 2024-2025 season to help contribute to these acknowledgments.

“The award shows our commitment to excellence,” Sara Lee, Deputy Director of Athletics, said. 

Denison’s commitment to athletics was recognized by more than just the NCAC— the Big Red were also ranked 20th out of 323 other athletic departments across all divisions and NAIA colleges in the 2024-2025 Learfield Directors’ Cup. 

“Competitive excellence is striving to do your best in everything you set out to do,” Lee said. 

To gain the NCAC All-Sports award, there is a time commitment for athletics, academics, and service. Last year, 151 Denison student-athletes were on the NCAC Academic Honor Roll. To qualify, student-athletes must have a GPA of  3.50 or higher. 

Athletes are also given opportunities to give back to the community through organizations such as Denison Student-Athlete Advisory Council (DSAAC) and Mission34. Events such as the Angel Walk, Special Olympics, and Trunk or Treat are put on by these student-athlete-run programs to help engage with the local communities of Granville, Newark, and Heath. 

“We cannot win without a culture. The student athletes push each other the right ways, call for each other in the right ways, and cheer each other on,” Weinberg said. 

To Weinberg, there are five conditions that an athletic department must follow to earn this award: having talent, a team culture, good coaches, training throughout the pre-season and in-season, and showing up for each other.

“Denison is firing on all cylinders,” Weinberg said. 

In the spirit of Denison’s competitive athletic program, they picked up right where they left off in the spring. The men’s soccer team is ranked first in the nation, holding a record of 8-0-1 as they head into their first match of conference play on Oct. 4 against Kenyon College. 

The women’s soccer team stands with a 5-2-2 record as conference play is on the horizon, and the volleyball team has an 8-8 record with a prominent win over No. 3 Hope College on Sept. 5.