All-America

Last updated

The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. [1] Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport. Some sports have multiple All-America teams and will list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team.

Contents

All-America teams are composed of outstanding U.S. amateur athletes. Individuals falling short of qualifying for the honor may receive All-America honorable mention. The designation is typically used at the collegiate level, although, beginning in 1957, high school athletes in football began being honored with All-American status, which then carried over to other sports like basketball and cross-country running. The selection criteria vary by sport. Athletes at the high school and college level placed on All-America teams are referred to as All-Americans.

Term usage

Individuals earn All-America honors in their sport either by athletic achievement at a championship event or by being selected by members of the national media, coaches' association, or through a poll. The All-American terminology is primarily a demonym and is often used with regard to college and occasionally to high school players in the United States and its territories.

Selection to an All-America team for collegiate (or high-school) players, however, is honorary in nature. Likewise, there may also be a lower-tiered accolade referred to as honorable mention that is conferred upon non-team members of similar caliber in the same class. "All-America teams" do not typically play any games as a unit, unlike many of the all-star teams.[ citation needed ]

The original use of the term "All-America" seems to have been in reference to a list of college football players who were regarded as the best at their respective positions. The first "All-America" team was the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Caspar Whitney and published in This Week's Sports in association with Walter Camp. [2]

In triathlons, USA Triathlon bestows the All America status on the top 10% within their age group.

The term has also been used in athletics in new ways to recognize the academic achievements of student-athletes as "Academic All-America" teams are named. [3] The term "Academic All-America" is a registered trademark of the College Sports Information Directors of America, which began the program in 1952 to recognize college athletes at all levels of competition and in all collegiate sports.

Collegiate sports

Each year different sets of All-American teams are recognized toward consensus and unanimous selection recognition. A "unanimous selection" is a player who is listed as a first team All-American by all recognized lists. A "consensus All-American" is a player who is listed as a first team All-American by at least half of the recognized lists. All-America teams are selected annually in various collegiate sports.

Archery

In collegiate archery competitions All-America selections are determined by the US Collegiate Archery (USCA) association. All-American honors are awarded for Olympic Recurve, Compound Target, and Bowhunter divisions. All-American honors are awarded to the top 10 archers in each division based on aggregate scores from the National Indoor and Intercollegiate Championships each year.

Baseball

In baseball, All-America teams are selected annually by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Collegiate Baseball .

Basketball

In Division I men's basketball, the National Collegiate Athletic Association recognizes consensus All-America teams via a points system, currently based on teams chosen by four entities: the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Sporting News , and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Many other bodies and publications select their own All-America teams.

In Division I women's basketball, the NCAA recognizes unanimous first-team selections since 1995 based on selections from the AP, USBWA and Women's Basketball Coaches Association. [4]

Cross country running

Selections are administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). In Division I, the top 40 overall finishers at the national meet are all named to the All-America team. In Division III, as of 2017, the top 40 finishers garner All-American distinction (previously top 35). The student-athlete's team must be a member of the USTFCCCA. [5] [6]

Fencing

Based on the NCAA Fencing Championships, the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association annually selects athletes for All-American first team, second team, third team, and honorable mention titles.

Football

The National Collegiate Athletic Association currently recognizes College Football All-America Teams selected by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News , and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) to determine consensus All-Americans. [7]

Golf

All-American honors are awarded by the GCAA for men's golf.

Gymnastics

In NCAA men's gymnastics, all American status is awarded to the top 8 finishers in the national championship.

Ice hockey

The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) selects All-Americans at the Division I and Division III levels, for both men and women. For Division I men, they select a first- and a second-team for East and for West; for Division I women, they select national first- and second-teams. For Division III men, they select a first- and a second-team for East and for West; for Division III women, they select a first and second team for both East and West.

Lacrosse

The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) annually selects men's lacrosse All-Americans, distinguished by first team, second team, third team, and honorable mention. [8]

The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) annually selects women's lacrosse All-Americans, distinguished by first team, second team, third team, and honorable mention.

US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men's and women's lacrosse, annually selects national boys' and girls' high school All-Americans. [9]

Rowing

The American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) and Collegiate Rowing Coaches of America (CRCA) name All-American teams for men and women respectively. [10]

Rugby union

The term All-America was used for the student rugby teams that toured Australia in 1912 and New Zealand in 1913, see Rugby union in the United States.

Sailing

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) selects All-American teams annually at the end of every full racing season. The selected sailors are then inducted into the ICSA Hall of Fame. [11]

Soccer

In soccer, United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, or NSCAA) annually names an eleven-member All-America team, as well as Division I women, and Division II and III teams. [12]

Swimming and diving

In NCAA swimming and diving, athletes and relay teams who make the championship final (top eight) are considered First-Team All-Americans. Athletes and relay teams that qualify for the consolation final (determines places 9–16) are considered Honorable Mention All-Americans. [13] All-American teams are selected by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

Tennis

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association annually selects men's and women's D-1 players with the following criteria SINGLES (denoted by 'S') 1.) Top 16 seed in NCAA Singles Championships, or 2.) Reach round of 16 in NCAA Singles Championships, or 3.) Finish in the Top 20 of the final ITA Rankings. DOUBLES (denoted by 'D') 1.) Top eight seed in NCAA Doubles Championships, or 2.) Reach quarterfinals of NCAA Doubles Championship, or 3.) Finish in Top 10 of final ITA Rankings. [14]

Track and field

Administered by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the selection rule differs for NCAA Division I compared to NCAA Division II, Division III, NJCAA and NAIA. For all categories, the top eight finishers in each individual event are awarded First-Team All-America designation, while Division I athletes placed ninth through sixteenth are awarded Second-Team. Relays are judged strictly on a top-eight basis. The cutoffs are the same for both indoor and outdoor competition. The student-athlete's team must be a member of the USTFCCCA. [15]

Volleyball

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) selects five NCAA All-America teams. In women's volleyball, it selects teams for all three NCAA divisions. In the men's game, teams are chosen in the National Collegiate division (which includes members of Division I and Division II) and in Division III. The AVCA also selects teams for the NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA. [16]

Wrestling

In all NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, NCWA, and CCCAA divisions, the top 6 or 8 placers at the national championship tournament are considered All-Americans. [17]

High school sports

At the high school level, noted All-America teams are selected by Parade magazine in football, and from 1957 to 2015 in basketball. [18] In baseball, the ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Baseball Team has been selected annually since 1969. [19]

Also in basketball, the McDonald's restaurant chain selects players annually for its McDonald's All-American Game, [20] and there is also a Ballislife All-American Game. In football, there is the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Under Armour All-America Game. Since 2000, the United States Army has sponsored its own annual All-American high school football competition, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which includes an All-American football team, split East and West, and an All-American marching band.

In 2005, Offense-Defense Sports began publishing a Top 100 ranking for nation's the top high school football athletes. [21] The Offense-Defense All-American Bowl is held every January, featuring the 88 top-ranked high school seniors. [22]

Athletes who place in the top 15 of each gender division at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, a series of annual cross country running races which are held in various regions of the US, are awarded All-American honors. [23]

The National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association publishes an Academic All America Awards list for graduating seniors that have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.750, and have lettered in their high school programs in swimming, diving, or water polo. [24]

The National High School Coaches Association also honors the nation's top student athletes on a yearly basis, as "High School Academic All-Americans". [25]

In 2020, High School Football America began publishing an annual Academic All-America Team honoring thousands of student-athletes from around the nation., [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Collegiate Athletic Association</span> American collegiate athletic organization

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and one in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps over 500,000 college student athletes who compete annually in college sports. The organization is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Ten Conference</span> American collegiate athletics conference

The Big Ten Conference is the oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is based in the Chicago area in Rosemont, Illinois. For many decades the conference consisted of ten prominent universities, which accounts for its name. As of August 2024, it consists of 18 member institutions and 2 affiliate institutions. The conference competes in the NCAA Division I and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, the highest level of NCAA competition in that sport.

The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide</span> Intercollegiate sports teams

The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Spirit Squads compete in the UCA and UDA College National Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Blue Devils</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Duke University

The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry battalion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Panthers</span> Athletic teams of the University of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, faculty, and students. Pitt fields 19 university-sponsored varsity teams at the highest level of competitive collegiate athletics in the United States: the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for American football.

The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and classified as Division I (non-football) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drexel Dragons</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Drexel University

The Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villanova Wildcats</span> Athletic teams of Villanova University

The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport; except football and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Athletic Association, and women's water polo where the compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. On December 15, 2012, Villanova and the other six, non-FBS schools announced that they were departing the Big East for a new conference. This conference assumed the Big East name on July 1, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Valley State Lakers</span> Athletic teams representing Grand Valley State University

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University, located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

The Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program. The program selects an honorary sports team composed of the most outstanding student-athletes of a specific season for positions in various sports—who in turn are given the honorific "Academic All-American". Since 1952, College Sports Communicators has bestowed Academic All-American recognition on male and female athletes in Divisions I, II, and III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as well as athletes in the NAIA, other U.S. four-year schools, two-year colleges, and Canadian universities, covering all championship sports. The award honors student-athletes who have performed well academically and athletically while regularly competing for their institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UC Davis Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Califlornia, Davis

The UC Davis Aggies are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Erie Storm</span> College sport team in Ohio

The Lake Erie Storm are the athletic teams that represent Lake Erie College, located in Painesville, Ohio, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) since the 2017–18 academic year. The Storm previously competed as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) from 2010–11 to 2016–17; as well as an NCAA D-II Independent from 2008–09 to 2009–10. Prior joining to NCAA Division II, the Storm competed as a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) of the NCAA Division III ranks from 1997–98 to 2007–08.

Trevor R. Tierney is a current National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's lacrosse assistant coach, former Major League Lacrosse (MLL) defensive coordinator and retired lacrosse goaltender who has played professional box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and professional field lacrosse in MLL. Trevor starred as a member of the Princeton Tigers men's lacrosse team from 1998 through 2001, where he was an NCAA goaltender of the year, two-time United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American, a national goals against average (GAA) and save percentage statistical champion and a member of two national champion teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limestone Saints</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Limestone University, South Carolina, US

The Limestone Saints are the athletic teams that represent Limestone University, located in Gaffney, South Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Saints compete as members of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) for most sports, having joined that league in July 2020 after 22 years in Conference Carolinas (CC). Limestone maintains CC membership in two sports, specifically men's wrestling and women's acrobatics & tumbling. Men's wrestling is one of two sports in which the SAC and CC operate as a single league, the other being women's field hockey. The SAC operates the field hockey championship, while CC operates the wrestling championship. The men's volleyball team competes as an independent. The swim team competed in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference before being dropped in 2018; the field hockey and wrestling teams were members of the ECAC–Division II before 2018, when the SAC and CC established their alliance in those two sports. The football team had been independent, but entered into a scheduling agreement with the SAC in 2015. This agreement was replaced in 2017 by formal affiliate membership, which continued until the Saints joined the SAC full-time in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheaton Lyons</span> College sports teams

The Wheaton Lyons represents Massachusetts' Wheaton College and fields 21 varsity intercollegiate teams, 9 for men and 12 for women, in addition to 14 club sports programs and a variety of intramural activities. The school's teams play within the NCAA Division III and in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. The 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the Sporting News (TSN), and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. All selectors choose at least a first and second 5-man team. The NABC, TSN and AP choose third teams, while AP also lists honorable mention selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans</span> Award

An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. The 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that will include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the Sporting News (TSN), and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. All selectors choose three teams, while AP also lists honorable mention selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans</span> Award

An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. The 2020 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the Sporting News (TSN), and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. All selectors choose three teams, while AP also lists honorable mention selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans</span> Award

An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. The 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), Sporting News (SN), and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. All selectors choose three teams, while AP and USBWA also list honorable mention selections.

References

  1. ↑ Cambridge, Dictionary (2022). "Meaning of all-American in English". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ The All-America Team for 1889 selected by Casper Whitney is identified in the NCAA guide to football award winners Archived July 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "CoSIDA - Academic All-America". September 13, 2007. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Women's Basketball Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA. 2021. p. 6. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Washington women win NCAA cross country title" Archived August 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , The Seattle Times , November 25, 2008
  6. ↑ "USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Cross Country Media Handbook" Archived June 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (pdf format), Ustfccca.org, August 19, 2009
  7. ↑ Deitch, Scott E. (Ed), 2002 NCAA Football's Finest Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (pdf format), National Collegiate Athletic Association, February 2002
  8. ↑ USILA All-American Teams Archived December 1, 2014, at archive.today , United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, 2009
  9. ↑ "2013 All-America Teams". US Lacrosse. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Athlete Awards - Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association". Collegerowcoach.org. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  11. ↑ "ICSA Hall of Fame". College Sailing. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ "NSCAA Awards" Archived January 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , National Soccer Coaches Association of America
  13. ↑ "ACC Records 18 All-American Performances and a national champion at 2006 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championship" Archived May 7, 2006, at the Wayback Machine , Atlantic Coast Conference, March 31, 2006, "All-America honors go to student-athletes who finish 1–8 (both individual events and relay events); Honorable Mention All-America honors go to those who finish 9–16."
  14. ↑ 2004 ITA All-America Teams Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "USTFCCCA Collegiate All-America Athletes ::: USTFCCCA" . Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ "AVCA All-America Awards". avca.org. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  17. ↑ Morris, Tim, "Four-time All-American Gaeta in rare company", April 18, 2007, "Top 8 finishers earn All-American" Archived January 24, 2013, at archive.today
  18. ↑ O'Shea, Michael, "Meet PARADE's All-America High School Football Team" Archived August 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , Parade, 2 March 2009
  19. ↑ "ABCA/Rawlings All-Americans Index". www.abca.org. American Baseball Coaches Association . Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The Selection Process", McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Games
  21. ↑ "Offense-Defense All-American Bowl", Offense Defense Sports Archived November 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ "Local players headed to 2010 Offense-Defense game" Archived October 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , Miami Herald, October 12, 2009
  23. ↑ Gerweck, Jim, "It's the Little Things: Foot Locker Tidbits" Archived December 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , Running Times Magazine
  24. ↑ "Academic All America Award". National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Academic All Americans". National High School Coaches Association. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  26. ↑ "2021 Academic All-America Team powered by scoutSMART". April 19, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.