College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Team

College Sports Communicators announce Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2026

By Colby Shannon, CSC Intern
 

A five-time Olympian, a national champion in women’s volleyball, a successful player, coach and philanthropist in men’s soccer along with a Weurffel Trophy and Arthur Ashe Scholarship recipient, who combined to be named Academic All-American eight times, make up the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Hall of Fame®  Class for 2026.

For 74 years, the Academic All-America program has honored student-athletes that exceed in their respective sports while also carrying academic prestige in their communities. This year, College Sports Communicators honors four individuals who exemplify what it means to be an Academic All-American. These four former student-athletes will be etched in Academic All-America history forever, as they enter the Academic All-America Hall of Fame®.

CSC is excited to announce the Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2026:

 

    Sam Acho – University of Texas graduate of 2010, football, two-time Academic All-American.

    Amy Acuff – UCLA graduate of 1997, women’s track and field, three-time Academic All-American.

    Dr. Jim Agre – Augsburg University graduate of 1972, men’s soccer.

    Therese (Dorigan) Cullen – Elmhurst University graduate of 1988, women’s volleyball, three-time Academic All-American.

 

“One of the most fantastic parts of our award ceremonies at the annual convention is when we recognize the newest Academic All-America Hall of Fame class,” said Patrick Crawford, 2025-26 CSC President. “These individuals always have awe-inspiring stories and accomplishments to their names. This year’s class is no different, and CSC is thrilled to honor this group for their commitment to success, both on and off the fields of competition.”

Created in 1988, the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Hall of Fame recognizes former Academic All-Americans who received a college degree at least 10 years prior, have achieved lifetime success in their professional careers, and are committed to philanthropic causes. Honorees are chosen each year by a select committee of CSC members, leaders, and past Academic All-America Hall of Fame inductees.

“CSC is proud to recognize and honor these four distinguished individuals who will be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame,” said CSC Executive Director Jason Yaman. “Their extraordinary achievements reflect a lifelong commitment to excellence, leadership, and integrity and they represent the very highest ideals of the Academic All-America program. We extend our sincere congratulations to each inductee on this well-deserved and prestigious honor.”

The 2026 Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at this year’s CSC Unite 2026 on June 8 at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas as part of CSC’s All-Star Night of Honors presented by ESPN.

Take a deeper look into the lives of the newest inductees of the 182-member group of the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame, below.

---

Sam Acho
University of Texas - Class of 2010
Football

Acho is one of the most decorated Longhorns in the history of UT football. In 2010-11 he was chosen as the Big 12 Conference Male Sportsperson of the Year. Leading Texas to a Big 12 championship and Bowl Championship Series National Championship game in 2009, Acho finished his career with the Longhorns recording 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 37 tackles for loss, and 44 pressures, lining up at outside linebacker/defensive end.

In 2010, he won the Wuerffel Trophy, awarded each year to the college football player with the biggest community impact. He was named to the Academic All-American first team in 2009 and 2010. He won the William V. Campbell Trophy for the nation’s highest academic performing football player and twice was awarded the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholarship. He was inducted into Texas’s Friar Society, the university’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. Additionally, he received the NCAA Top VIII Award, recognizing the top eight student athletes in collegiate athletics.

“People that get a chance to play sports in college are student-athletes,” said Acho. “And oftentimes, we forget the ‘student’ part and put a lot of focus on athletics… For me to be able to go through some ups and downs of learning what it was like to not necessarily find balance, but to learn limits and understand trade-offs, [was] very powerful on my journey in college athletics.”

Following his collegiate career, Acho was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. His nine year career in professional football saw Acho play for four different teams, and as a rookie, he recorded seven sacks, 44 tackles, and four forced fumbles. He retired from football in 2019, after a career that saw him advocate for player rights and safety. He served as the NFL Players Association Vice President and was nominated for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award twice, an honor that represents Acho’s commitment to community service and impact.

He’s since worked for ESPN as an analyst, covering college football, the NFL, and the United Football League (UFL). He does coverage in-studio and as a color commentator for college football.

Acho has released two books, Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes (2020) and Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World (2023).

Acho is the Vice President of Living Hope Ministries, an organization that provides medical, financial, and spiritual relief to Nigeria. His involvement with Living Hope Ministries started years ago when his parents created the organization. His first mission trip to Nigeria was as a 15 year-old. During his NFL career, many of Acho’s teammates accompanied him to Nigeria to assist Living Hope Ministries. Acho said, “A lot of my heartbeat is in Nigeria.” Both of his parents and his spouse were born there.

He is also an office advisor at the Athlete Family Office, serving as a mentor for young athletes to reach past their potential of physical abilities on a playing field and use their success to create better futures and impact the communities around them.

Acho shared, “I hope this recognition inspires other athletes to grow and push themselves in all areas of life.”
 

---

Amy Acuff
UCLA - Class of 1997
Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country


A five-time Olympian, formerly top-ranked in her sport, and a collegiate record-breaking high jumper, Amy Acuff has all the qualifications to be one of the newest inductees to the Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

Acuff’s introduction to high jumping started with an open gate and a mission to get over it. When she was 14 she joined her first junior development program after spending years searching for coaches in the Texas area to help improve her technique.

Acuff is a three-time Academic All-American, having earned the honor in 1995 (2nd team), 1996 (1st team), and 1997 (1st team). A 1997 graduate from UCLA, Acuff was the first female track and field alumna to receive a NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

She won a high jump title in each of her years as a student-athlete, making her the first woman in Pac-10 Conference history to win an individual track and field title in four consecutive years. In both 1995 and 1996, she was named the Pac-10’s Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year.

In 1997 she set the collegiate record for the high jump with a mark of 6-6.75. That same year, she took home gold at the World University Games in Italy.

Acuff went on to compete in five consecutive summer Olympic Games, her first in 1996 and final in 2012. She is the fifth American woman to take part in five Olympics. Her best Olympic finish in the high jump was a 4th-place performance in the 2004 Games where she reached a height of 1.99m.

She also won an astonishing six US outdoor championships and five US indoor championships. From 1993-2007 she held the number one rank in the country for female high jumpers six times.

Acuff was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015, and the US Track and Field and Cross Country Head Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2025. The records she set as a UCLA Bruin remain unbeaten in the program’s record books.

"I am deeply honored to be inducted into the 2026 Academic All-America Hall of Fame. The opportunity to be a student-athlete at UCLA truly changed my life. It built my confidence, taught me discipline and resilience, and opened doors I never could have imagined,” shared the five-time olympian.

Acuff is now the CEO of Winning Edge Apps LLC, sports AI technology company that helps athletes to train more effectively through video applications. She studied at the Academy of Oriental Medicine in her home state of Texas and became a licensed acupuncturist, an occupation inspired by the medical treatment that increased the longevity of her athletic career.

Acuff supports Cheyanna’s Champions 4 Children, an organization that enhances the lives of children battling rare or undiagnosed conditions in Texas. She gives free lessons to children in her local area on high jumping. 

Acuff believes that, “This induction celebrates not just my journey, but the countless student-athletes who prove that academics and athletics can elevate one another."
 

---

Dr. Jim Agre
Augsburg University - Class of 1972
Men’s Soccer

 
Dr. Jim Agre is an award-winning soccer player, coach, medical researcher, and now, Academic All-American.

A 1972 alumnus at Augsburg University, he was a part of the school’s first men’s soccer team in 1968 where he was a central defender. During his four years in the sport, Dr. Agre never experienced a minute of any game from the sidelines, having played all 90 minutes and started every soccer game of his collegiate career.

He was selected to the All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Team in 1969, 1970, and 1971 and captained the Auggies during his sophomore and junior years. His skill on the field matched his commitment to success in the classroom, as Dr. Agre made the dean’s list in every semester he was enrolled at Augsburg.

Dr. Agre shared, “As a graduate of Augsburg University, it is a privilege and a great honor to be selected for induction into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Hall of Fame. I am truly grateful to the selection committee.” He continued to reflect on his time at Augsburg saying, “Back in 1968, when I was a freshman at Augsburg and a member of the original Augsburg men’s soccer team, I would never have dreamed that in the future I would be selected as an Academic All-American.”

Shortly after obtaining his bachelor’s in chemistry and biology, Dr. Agre returned to Augsburg to coach the men’s soccer team. During his two-year tenure, beginning in 1974, the Auggies won back-to-back MIAC championships, boasting a 24-5-2 record. Agre was named NAIA District-13 Coach of the Year in his first season. After the 1975 season, he stepped down into an assistant coach position while he pursued a master’s degree, still coaching the Auggies up until 1981. In 1993, he was enshrined in the Augsburg Athletics Hall of Fame.

He finished medical school in 1976, then did a four-year residency, followed by a half-decade of graduate fellowship, and received his PhD in physical medicine and rehabilitation from the University of Minnesota.

Of his many professional accomplishments, the highlights include publishing over 90 papers on groundbreaking research he conducted on polio and postpolio conditions and rehabilitation. He and his colleague, Arthur A. Rodriquez, were recognized for the best peer reviewed article published by a PM&R physician in 1990. He retired from professional practice in 2008 and concluded his teaching career in 2020 after rejoining the University of Minnesota.

He gifted an estate worth over a million dollars to Augsburg’s StepUP program, which supports students who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Dr. Agre continues to serve on the advisory board of the StepUP program.

“I am so very grateful to Augsburg for the education it provided me,” said Agre. “This helped me in my development to become the person I became.” Dr. Agre said that his Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction, “Completes my life.” 

---

Therese (Dorigan) Cullen
Elmhurst College - Class of 1988
Women's Volleyball

Therese (Dorigan) Cullen represents a commitment to academic excellence, but stands out as a legendary athlete in her sport and a national champion.

An Elmhurst University athletics Hall of Famer, Dorigan posted a remarkable 140-46 (.760) record during her years on the volleyball team. She helped the team win four straight conference championships, two in the Chicago Metro Conference and two in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Additionally, Dorigan was a part of the 1985 Bluejay volleyball team that won the NCAA Division III national championship and the 1987 team that finished as the runner-up.

Her personal accolades include two consecutive Elmhurst Female Athlete of the Year honors, and in 1987 she was named Asics Tiger Player of the Year. In her two years playing in the CCIW she was named the conference’s player of the year. Lining up at setter/outside hitter, Dorigan was a force for the Bluejays.

Dorigan was a finalist for the NCAA’s Top Six Award, recognizing academic success for the top student-athletes in the country. After graduating from Elmhurst, she returned to the volleyball team in 1990 as an assistant coach. Dorigan was also the only player from the 1980s to be named to the NCAA Division III 25th Anniversary Team, announced in 2005.

Dorigan was selected as an Academic All-American three times, making the first team in 1985 and 1987. She double majored in chemistry and business while achieving a 4.0 grade point average throughout her undergraduate courses. She was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership/scholarship), Phi Kappa Phi (all academic fields), and Phil Lambda Epsilon (chemistry) honors societies.

Dorigan shed light on those who uplifted her success on and off the court, “This is further representation of not only my past activities and dedication over my collegiate career, but the commitment, care, devotion and love of my team, coaches, trainers, classmates, professors and teachers, and most importantly, my family, husband and friends. Thank you for this recognition and all that it represents to me.” She also gave recognition to her chemistry lab partners that went the extra mile for her during volleyball season.

In 1994, Dorigan went on to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) law degree from the University of North Carolina. She practiced environmental law before engaging in multiple work opportunities and landing at All4 LLC as a global client director where she handles full service environmental health and safety. In 2007, she was the lead author for a paper that was presented to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Dorigan currently supports the Catch a Lift Fund (CAL), which enables post-9/11 combat wounded veterans to regain and maintain their physical and mental health by providing gym memberships, fitness programs, in-home gym equipment, fitness and nutrition coaching and a peer-to-peer support network. She served on CAL’s Board of Directors for multiple years.

“Thank you very much to the Hall of Fame Committee and various CSC members for their time, dedication and support of my nomination and selection,” said Dorigan. “I am deeply humbled by this honor, which was unexpected to say the least, and feel extremely privileged.” 
 

 

The Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2026 represents the pursuit of excellence across multiple decades of collegiate athletics. With an almost 40-year gap between this year's eldest inductee’s graduation and our youngest inductee’s graduation, this year’s Hall of Fame class proves that Academic All-Americans have the ability to inspire future generations of student-athletes.

The CSC Unite convention is held each year in conjunction with the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Affiliates Convention. This year’s convention will be held June 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. All CSC Unite 2026 convention attendees can attend the CSC All-Star Night of Honors, presented by ESPN, on Monday, June 8 with their convention badge. Those without a #CSCUnite26 convention badge may purchase tickets to the event at CSCommunicators.com/tickets.