SMU landed 259 student-athletes on the ACC Academic Honor Roll, proving the Mustangs’ conference move is producing wins far beyond the scoreboard.
SMU didn’t just make noise on the field during the 2025-26 athletic year.
The Mustangs delivered one of their strongest statements in the classroom, placing 259 student-athletes on the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
That’s not a ceremonial participation trophy. To qualify, an athlete had to compete in a varsity sport and maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average for the entire academic year.
Balancing practices, road trips, workouts, film sessions and high-level coursework isn’t easy. SMU had hundreds of athletes prove they could handle all of it.
The recognition stretched across nearly every corner of the athletic department.
Soccer led the way with 47 honorees, followed by football with 39. Rowing placed 36 athletes on the list, while swimming and diving contributed 33 and equestrian added 30.
Golf had 16 selections, with basketball and volleyball each producing 14.
Those numbers reveal something bigger than a single academic announcement.
SMU’s move into the ACC raised the level of competition surrounding the university. The Mustangs entered a conference filled with nationally recognized athletic departments, larger brands and demanding travel schedules.
Instead of allowing that transition to become an excuse, SMU’s athletes continued producing in the classroom.
The football program’s 39 selections are especially notable. College football players operate inside one of the most demanding schedules in college athletics, with early workouts, position meetings, practices and weekly travel consuming enormous chunks of time.
Players such as Nolan Akins, Jake Ballard, Zakye Barker, Ty Hawkins and Jaden Milliner-Jones were among those recognized.
Men’s and women’s basketball also combined for a strong showing. Jaden Toombs, Samet Yigitoglu, B.J. Davis-Ray, B.J. Edwards, Sam Walters and Billy White III were among the Mustangs represented on the honor roll.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the list is its staying power. Of the 259 athletes recognized, 121 were listed as earning the honor for a second time.
That means nearly half weren’t simply enjoying one productive semester or one strong academic year. They established a standard and maintained it.
Conference realignment is usually discussed through television revenue, recruiting territory and championship opportunities. SMU’s latest achievement provides another measurement of whether the athletic department is thriving.
The Mustangs aren’t merely surviving life in the ACC. They’re proving they belong there—in competition and in the classroom.
