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Can the fastest NFL players beat the NCAA track stars? Here’s what the numbers say

Are football players faster than track and field athletes? It’s a question that’s been in the spotlight recently, with the likes of Tyreek Hill (NFL’s Miami Dolphins) challenging Usain Bolt (arguably the greatest Olympian sprinter ever) and more. However, before we get to the all-time greats, we should figure out if NFL players can even […]

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Are football players faster than track and field athletes? It’s a question that’s been in the spotlight recently, with the likes of Tyreek Hill (NFL’s Miami Dolphins) challenging Usain Bolt (arguably the greatest Olympian sprinter ever) and more. However, before we get to the all-time greats, we should figure out if NFL players can even beat the best sprinters in the NCAA. 

I compiled data from the NFL and the top collegiate sprinters to finally get an answer to the oft-asked question. Here’s what the numbers say.

Fastest 2022 regular season NFL speeds

Every year, the NFL uses Next Gen Stats to track the fastest players each game. Below you’ll find the fastest players that carried the ball from the 2022 regular season.

RANK SPEED (MPH) PLAYER POSITION TEAM NFL WEEK
1 22.11 Parris Campbell WR Indianapolis Colts 18
2 22.09 Kenneth Walker RB Seattle Seahawks 7
3 21.87 Breece Hall RB New York Jets 7
4 21.72 DeSean Jackson WR Baltimore Ravens 12
5 21.72 Christian Watson WR Green Bay Packers 13
6 21.68 Jaylen Waddle WR Miami Dolphins 16
7 21.68 Dalvin Cook RB Minnesota Vikings 10
8 21.62 Travis Etienne RB Jacksonville Jaguars 17
9 21.6 Devin Duvernay WR Baltimore Ravens 2
10 21.58 Tariq Woolen DB Seattle Seahawks 4

In total, 36 NFL players ran faster than 21 mph during the 2022 regular season, but only Parris Campbell and Kenneth Walker surpassed the 22 mph threshold. Campbell’s 22.11 mph speed ranks as the fifth-fastest top speed by a ball-carrier during an NFL season since 2016.

👀: Here are the DI track and field teams with most NCAA championships

RANK SPEED (MPH) PLAYER Year TEAM
1 23.34 Tyreek Hill 2016 Kansas City Chiefs
2 23.09 Raheem Mostert 2020 San Francisco 49ers
3 22.3 Matt Breida 2019 San Francisco 49ers
4 22.13 Jonathan Taylor 2021 Indianapolis Colts
5 22.11 Parris Campbell 2022 Indianapolis Colts
6 22.09 Matt Brieda 2018 San Francisco 49ers
7 22.05 Leonard Fournette 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars

So, how do these speeds relate to the top track and field athletes? Let’s find out.

DESTINATIONS: The greatest venues in outdoor track and field, according to you

Fastest NCAA track athletes in 2023

While mph data for NCAA track and field races isn’t always readily available, there’s luckily data from NCAA sprinters who participated in the 2022 World Athletics Championships. We’ll be using that data for this article.

Top male sprinters

The 100 meters is the premier male sprinting event, with track athletes running the shortest distance during an outdoor meet. To compare the 100 meters to football, it equates to just over 109 yards, roughly the front of one end zone to the back of another end zone. 

It’s rare that a football player will ever run 100 meters in a straight line continuously in a game like a sprinter would in a race, but a football player still needs to hit his peak speeds to escape from opposing players in the same way a sprinter needs to hit his peak speeds to win a race.

That said, here are the fastest 100 meter sprinters that returned to collegiate track and field in 2023.

SPEED (MPH) PLAYER School Time (Round)
26.2 Favour Ashe Auburn 10.00 (Heats)
25.6 Ismael Kone Florida State 10.17 (Heats)
24.3 Shaun Gill Texas A&M-Kingsville (DII) 10.76 (Prelims)

All three of the collegiate 100 meter sprinters ran faster than all NFL players since 2016. Yet, none of the collegiate sprinters above made the 100 meter final at World Championships, meaning there were even faster sprinters in track and field in 2022.

NCAA T&F: Here’s how the outdoor track and field championships work

What about the equipment?

A common cry in debates between football and track speed is that football players where equipment that can slow them down. Per Sports Illustrated, football equipment like shoulder pads, helmets and more can weigh more than 10 pounds. While there’s no hard data on how much football equipment slows down a player, one can assume that it likely knocks off tenths of a second from top speeds.

40-yard dash

That said, we have seen football players run their top speeds in non-game like settings via the NFL Combine’s 40-yard dash. Take a look a some of the speeds from 2022’s NFL Combine.

Speed (MPH) 40 Time Athlete School Position  
25.1 4.23 Kalon Barnes Baylor CB  
24.8 4.26 Tariq Woolen UTSA CB  
24.6 4.31 Velus Jones Tennessee WR  
24.5 4.34 Bo Melton Rutgers WR  
24.1 4.33 Danny Gray SMU WR  

Speeds taken from Reel Analytics.

Kalon Barnes ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL history, only one-hundreth of a second behind the NFL record of 4.22 seconds. Tariq Woolen ran the fifth-fastest time in NFL history.

However, none of the top-speeds from the 2022 NFL Combine ran without football equipment surpass the top two recorded speeds from the NCAA athletes listed above at World Championships. 

While the 40-yard dash is a decent indicator of speed, it’s not the end all be all as shown by analytics experts. There’s no correlation between 40-yard dash speed and in-game speed, with players with slow 40 times running just as fast — with equipment on — as players with fast 40 times.

Moreover, the NFL record of 4.22 seconds in the 40-yard dash pales in comparison to what track athletes have ran in the 40-yard dash. Take former NCAA Champion Christian Coleman for example. He ran a 4.12 second 40-yard dash back in 2017, blowing the NFL Combine record out of the water. Coleman even beat NFL legend Bo Jackson’s rumored 4.13 second 40-yard dash time.

In 2024, Iowa sprinter Kalen Walker took running the 40-yard dash as a track athlete to the next level, running the dash at halftime of the Hawkeye’s game against Northwestern. Walker didn’t match Coleman’s time, but still finished 4.15 seconds, with the wind of an outdoor environment.

Coleman and Walker’s 40-yard dash performances shows that even in similar conditions, without equipment, track speed is faster.

The DK Metcalf race

While Christian Coleman tested out NFL conditions with his run in the 40-yard dash, NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf did the opposite, running a 100 meter race on the track.

Metcalf ran the 100 meters at the Golden Games in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials. In his first 100 meter race with only a few months of training, Metcalf ran a 10.37-second time to finish 15th out of 17 competitors in the preliminary round.

Metcalf’s speed paled in comparison to track and field sprinters in a race that didn’t include some of the America’s best 100 meter runners. Yet, when it comes to the NFL, Metcalf is one of the fastest in the league with a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and a top speed of 22.64 mph 2020.

Metcalf’s top speed in the NFL is one of the fastest since the NFL has tracked the data. However, when Metcalf transferred his football speed to the track — without equipment — his speed didn’t keep up.

Tyreek Hill vs. Noah Lyles

For the longest time, NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill — one of the fastest players we’ve seen in the NFL during the 2020s — and Olympic and World Champion Noah Lyles taunted each other over who would win in a race. The two were supposed to line it up on the track in the Summer of 2025 before the big plans fell through.

However, Hill still showed off what he could do on the track. Hill ran his first 100 meters since 2013 at the Last Chance Sprint Series. Hill finishing in 10.15 seconds at the age of 31 — much faster than Metcalf’s 10.37. 

To put that in perspective, Hill’s previous 100 meter PR was 10.19 from 2012 at 18 years old, and he hadn’t ran an outdoor track race since a +5.0 9.98 100 meters while in JUCO in 2013. 

When on a tour of Oklahoma State university in 2024, I personally asked Head Coach Dave Smith — Hill’s coach when he finished fifth in the 2014 NCAA indoor 200 meter finals — what he thought of Hill’s speed and his challenging professional track athletes. To summarize Smith’s sentiments, he explained that if Tyreek Hill chose to focus on track instead of football, he had the talent to compete at the highest level against the top sprinters of today.

Smith’s point is validated after Hill ran 10.1 in a season-opener. That’s no small feat and is on-par with some of the Olympic-level sprinters to start their seasons. 2024 Olympic 100m Bronze medalist Fred Kerley opened 2025 with a 10.23. The fifth-place 100m finisher Marcell Jacobs opened with a 10.30. The sixth-place 100m finisher and Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo opened with a 10.55.

No matter how you look at it, Hill’s 10.15 performance was impressive.

The dual-sport athletes

NFL x track speed

For all the comparisons between NFL and track speed, there’s one person who blurred the lines in 2022, Devon Allen. Allen, an NCAA champion and Olympian, was a finalist in the 110 hurdles at the 2022 World Championships and also is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles roster, even scoring a touchdown during the preseason.

Devon Allen hit a top speed of 20.93 mph on his 55-yard touchdown in the preseason. While Allen’s top speed ranks below some of the top speeds in the NFL this year and the top collegians in track and field at the World Championships, Allen is an Olympian hurdler, running the third-fastest 110 hurdles time ever (12.84 seconds) at Worlds. With out football pads and routes and without hurdles, Allen’s top speed is likely much higher.

💨: Wind and scoring in track and field, explained

NCAA football x track speed

Texas A&M’s Devon Achane is a soon-to-be NFL player with legit track speed. How do we know this about the 2023 NFL draft prospect? Because he actually ran track in college.

Achane qualified for the 2022 DI outdoor championships in sprint events. Achane finished in the semifinals during the outdoor championships with a 10.48-second 100 meter time. On the gridiron, Achane was clocked at 22.2 mph in 2021 on a kick return for a touchdown.

Achane’s speed on that kick return is faster than any NFL player’s top speed during the 2022 regular season. He’s one of the select few players than when someone says “he has track speed” legitimately does.

FOOTBALL TRANSITION: Arkansas’ Rojé Stona’s attempted transition to NFL

Elsewhere, Kentucky has a football-track standout of its own — and he’s only a freshman. Jordan Anthony plays wide receiver for the Wildcats and runs sprints. Prior to enrolling, he won the U.S. U-20 200 meter title with a personal-best 20.34-second finish.

Anthony kicked off his 2023 indoor season with less than a week of track practice between the transition of football and track season by breaking the Kentucky freshman record in the 60 meters in 6.57 seconds. That performance comes after Anthony redshirted on the gridiron, playing in just two games.

Anthony is another dual-sport athlete with true “track speed”.

Anthony continued to prove he has track speed with his 2025 NCAA DI 100 meter win while running for Arkansas (he also had a stop at Texas A&M before transferring to the Razorbacks). The victory came after Anthony won the 2025 NCAA DI 60 meters and after he ran the No. 2 all-conditions 100 meter race in NCAA history, finishing in 10.75 seconds (+2.1). Anthony’s success on the track led to him signing an NIL deal with adidas and turning pro in track in June of 2025, foregoing the rest of his football career.

Arkansas’ Jordan Anthony runs 9.75! Watch every men’s 100m quarterfinals from 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championships

In July 2024, track speed again made the news thanks to South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor. Harbor drew recognition around the country for his 99 speed and 99 acceleration rating in EA College Football 25.

Harbor’s speed caught many by surprise, but not track and field fans. Harbor finished 16th in the 100 meters and 10th in the 200 meters in the 2024 Division I track and field championships.

MORE: Complete history of The Bowerman award

So who’s faster?

From the data, it’s clear than the top-end speed of NCAA track and field athletes is faster than the top-end speed of NFL players. While there are other external factors like distance run, equipment weight, directions run and more, the top-end speed data is plain to see.

Could things change if the fastest NFL players raced track and field’s best? Maybe, but until that happens the win goes to the trackletes.





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Coach Mirarchi shaping Italy’s next water polo stars at the FISU Games

Written by Valentina Rasini, EU U-Media Ambassador, Italy Water polo is a demanding sport that requires lots of sacrifice and dedication. For student-athletes, balancing academics and intense training makes it even more challenging. Maurizio Mirarchi, coach of the Italian women’s team at the Rhine Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, understands this well. He puts his […]

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Written by Valentina Rasini, EU U-Media Ambassador, Italy

Water polo is a demanding sport that requires lots of sacrifice and dedication. For student-athletes, balancing academics and intense training makes it even more challenging.

Maurizio Mirarchi, coach of the Italian women’s team at the Rhine Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, understands this well. He puts his heart into mentoring his young players, helping them grow not only as competitors but as the champions of tomorrow.

Coach Mirarchi made a clear decision: to train student-athletes, both at the international level and in the Italian championship, and he stands firmly by his choice.

“There’s no trick, you just have to make sacrifices, train and try to give your best in every session. If you train well, matches are a consequence of training. The trick is simply to do your best during the week,” he said, speaking about the challenges of coaching such a young group.

One of the most important aspects for Mirarchi is keeping his pupils fully focused, especially in the most difficult moments, when emotions and tension can weigh heavily on young minds.

“I always ask for their maximum attention. I try to explain the various situations that arise in the match to make sure they have it. It’s not easy, because there are emotions, there is the moment, there is the match. We try to make sure that things are explained well in some moments of the match.”

The hardest part of being a student-athlete in Mirarchi’s opinion? “They have to balance their work and their student activities. It’s a big commitment for them. This is a sport that requires a lot of sacrifice, so they are really good at managing both things in the best way possible.”

A stepping stone to the future

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 represents an enriching and valuable experience for the Italian coach.

“It’s a good level, a good high level. There are good teams, from Australia, Germany, Japan, us, Hungary, the United States,” he said, about the calibre of different delegations competing in the tournament.

Looking ahead to the future of his young protégés, Mirarchi sees the FISU Games as a key benchmark for preparing them for the next level of competition, such as the Olympics or the World Championships.

“The university team is always a tank, where the national team can take on the athletes. So, it’s very important to do it well, to do the competition seriously, because then it can be a showcase to continue later,” he affirmed.

His vision is long-term and clear: these kinds of tournaments are not an end, but a means to grow.

“I took this job because we work in perspective. So, we try to make these girls grow, making them do as many experiences as possible. And this is a good experience for them, because they are all young girls. So, I hope that over the years they can play even more important competitions.”

Looking to match their silver-medal finish from Chengdu 2023, the Italian women reached the semifinals on Tuesday, 22 July with a dominant 20-5 win against Türkiye. Mirarchi’s side will face the United States on Thursday for a spot in Saturday’s gold-medal match.

The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.



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Cameron Brink Reacts to Post Roasting Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers’s Viral Outfits

One needs to look no further than the WNBA to witness some of the most fashionable dressers in the sports world, as the league’s stars strut through tunnels day after day showing off jaw-dropping looks and oozing effortless style. Most players—to use the popular Gen Z term—slay with their pregame outfits. But on the few […]

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One needs to look no further than the WNBA to witness some of the most fashionable dressers in the sports world, as the league’s stars strut through tunnels day after day showing off jaw-dropping looks and oozing effortless style.

Most players—to use the popular Gen Z term—slay with their pregame outfits. But on the few occasions they don’t, fans will be ready to roast any given player at a moment’s notice—even if that player is one of the rising faces of the W.

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 picks of the WNBA Draft in the last two years, were recently grouped together in a funny social media post concerning their fits ahead of the Indiana Fever-Dallas Wings game on July 13.

Clark donned a baggy gray power suit, while Bueckers wore a green and yellow striped sweater with jeans. One fan on X (formerly known as Twitter) posted a hilarious comment on the stars’ contrasting looks: “Someone said the mom headed to the superintendent’s office, and her 13-year-old kid who got in trouble.”

Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink later got in on the fun and dished on her peers’ fashion tastes on the Straight to Cam podcast this week.

“I mean… it’s pretty accurate,” Brink said. “Does [Caitlin] look very boss woman chic clean? Yes. Does Paige look very streetwear cool girl? Yes. But seeing those side by side, it’s pretty funny.

“I think they both stay very true to those aesthetics, like Caitlin’s usually in her Prada, she’s a little more buttoned up. I guess Paige, she’ll wear suits [too].”

While Clark and Bueckers usually let their on-court play do the talking, their comically different fits clearly served as a conversation starter among the WNBA community. The two franchise stars will meet again on Aug. 1 and 12, after Clark’s Fever defeated Bueckers’s Wings in the pair’s first professional matchup against each other on July 13.

More WNBA on Sports Illustrated





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AD Newsletter – July 22, 2025

  Dear Wildcats:  What we’ve accomplished together over the past year has laid the groundwork for a bold new era at Arizona Athletics. In our inaugural year in the Big 12 Conference, we didn’t just compete, we built momentum. Fueled by your support, we embraced transformational change, tackled financial challenges head-on, and launched a strategic […]

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Dear Wildcats: 

What we’ve accomplished together over the past year has laid the groundwork for a bold new era at Arizona Athletics. In our inaugural year in the Big 12 Conference, we didn’t just compete, we built momentum. Fueled by your support, we embraced transformational change, tackled financial challenges head-on, and launched a strategic vision to guide our future. 

With a focus on integrity, innovation, and urgency, we’ve worked to restore financial discipline, elevate the student-athlete experience, and assemble a leadership team prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing landscape. Thank you for standing with us, believing in our vision, and helping us build something that will last far beyond the scoreboard. We’re stronger because of YOU

I’m proud to share just a few highlights: 

  • We closed a $39M deficit to just $5M, with a goal to balance the budget by FY26 through strategic oversight, streamlined operations, and accountability. 
  • We raised $5.9M more than last year thanks to your generosity and a restructured Development Office that better aligns philanthropic goals with strategic priorities. 
  • We rose in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings (from No. 48 to No. 43), powered by a national championship in Women’s Triathlon, Big 12 titles in Baseball, Women’s Golf, and Men’s Tennis, and Top 25 finishes in Gymnastics, Softball, Men’s Basketball, and Men’s Swim and Dive. 
  • We launched the Bear Down Blueprint, a five-year strategic plan built on four pillars: Graduating Leaders, Winning Championships, Galvanizing Community, and Organizational Strength. Read the full plan here.  

 

We’ve also continued building a team that can meet the challenges of this moment. This year, we welcomed four new head coaches, each chosen not just for their competitive credentials, but for their values, vision, and ability to mentor student-athletes: 

Ben Loorz, Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s Swim & Dive 

Giovana Maymon, Head Coach, Women’s Golf 

Becky Burke, Head Coach, Women’s Basketball 

Andrew Dubs, Head Coach, Track & Field / Cross Country 

 

These new leaders join a department-wide effort to elevate every aspect of the Wildcat experience—from competitive performance to academic achievement and holistic support. 

We also welcomed a dynamic group of new administrative leaders, all bringing high-level experience from the Power Four conferences or professional sports. Each of these leaders was carefully selected to help drive innovation, accountability, and sustained excellence across our department: 

Tony Daniel, Chief Revenue Officer  

Rachel Blunt, Chief Operating Officer/SWA  

Will Wheeler, Chief Financial Officer  

Mike Smith, Chief Development Officer 

Morgan Domenick, Chief of Staff 

Brian Rooney, General Manager, Arizona Sports Enterprises 

Bud Sasser, Associate Athletics Director for Contracts 

 

This year also marked the official launch of Arizona Sports Enterprises (ASE)—our innovative new division focused on maximizing commercial revenue through multimedia rights, partnerships, and premium experiences. Under the leadership of Tony Daniel, ASE exceeded its first-year revenue goal by 14% and welcomed its first General Manager, Brian Rooney, a proven leader in sports business. With ASE now fully operational, we’ve created a modern, agile platform that positions Arizona Athletics for long-term financial growth and greater brand impact. 

A New Era: Revenue Sharing + NIL Support 

As of July 1, Arizona Athletics entered a new era with the formal launch of revenue sharing as provided by the terms of the House v. NCAA settlement. Our student-athletes deserve to be supported and empowered, and Arizona is leading the way. 

We’ve implemented a comprehensive financial literacy course in collaboration with the College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences, expanded Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) education, and built internal systems to meet compliance standards—all while preserving the essence of college athletics.  

As revenue-sharing reshapes college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) remains essential to providing our student-athletes with the resources and opportunities they deserve. Your continued support helps Arizona remain competitive in recruiting and retaining top talent—while also preparing our Wildcats for success beyond the playing field. 

We’re calling on members of the Arizona community—especially those who own or influence businesses—to play an active role in shaping the future of Wildcat Athletics. By creating or supporting legitimate NIL opportunities, you’re helping student-athletes grow their personal brands and ensuring Arizona thrives in this new era of college sports. 

If you’re interested in exploring NIL partnership opportunities, or contributing directly to NIL efforts, please visit www.ArizonaWildcats.com/sponsorship.  

Your continued philanthropic support is more critical than ever, so thank you for all that you do.  

Looking Ahead: Football & Fan Experience 

Arizona enters Year Two in the Big 12 with momentum, and we’re making Saturdays in Tucson more exciting than ever. This fall, fans will enjoy: 

  • A reimagined team entrance featuring cryogenics, pyrotechnics, and military flyovers 
  • A new live music partnership with the DUSK Music Festival 
  • Expanded tailgating zones and on-field hospitality 
  • Fan-friendly concession pricing 

 

These enhancements reflect our commitment to building a world-class gameday environment for our student-athletes and fans alike. We can’t wait to welcome you back to Arizona Stadium this fall. 



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Griz volleyball wins fifth straight AVCA Team Academic Award

Montana volleyball has received the AVCA Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT for the fifth consecutive season after another successful year in the classroom.   In order to qualify for the honor, teams needed to maintain a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. Montana had a cumulative GPA of 3.66 […]

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Montana volleyball has received the AVCA Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT for the fifth consecutive season after another successful year in the classroom.
 
In order to qualify for the honor, teams needed to maintain a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. Montana had a cumulative GPA of 3.66 as a team throughout the 2024-25 academic year.
 
“We are a player-led program built on the belief that passion for learning and love for the game go hand in hand. Our athletes don’t just compete—they lead, question, explore, and grow,” head coach Allison Lawrence said. “They fuel a culture of curiosity that stretches from the court to the classroom and into every aspect of life. Year after year, our student-athletes redefine what success means on the court and in the classroom. They push limits, raise standards, and lift each other up.”
 
Casi Newman earned a perfect 4.0 for Montana in her only season in Missoula as a graduate transfer. The Grizzlies also had 11 players record a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better for the 2024-25 school year.
 
Gracie Cagle just missed out on a perfect GPA with a 3.96 while Emma Williams had the third-best mark on the team with a 3.87 GPA.
 
The Grizzlies had four individuals record 4.0 GPAs in the spring 2025 semester. Cagle and Newman both had perfect marks and they were joined by Paige Clark and Maddie Kremer in the 4.0 club.
 
It’s the fifth straight time that Montana has earned the AVCA award. This is the best GPA that the program has recorded under Lawrence at 3.66 for the academic year, and they also recorded an impressive 3.68 GPA in the spring term. Last year, Montana had a 3.60 GPA.
 
Academics have been a priority for Lawrence since taking over in 2017. They have claimed the award five times under Lawrence. Prior to Lawrence, Montana had won the award five times since 1992.   
 



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Michael Sporton Tabbed As John Jay Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations

Story Links Release Courtesy John Jay Athletic Communications NEW YORK – John Jay College Interim Director of Athletics Brandon Fieland has named Michael Sporton as its new Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations. Sporton comes to John Jay College after serving 11 years as the Assistant Director for Championships and Special Events at the City […]

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Release Courtesy John Jay Athletic Communications

NEW YORK – John Jay College Interim Director of Athletics Brandon Fieland has named Michael Sporton as its new Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations. Sporton comes to John Jay College after serving 11 years as the Assistant Director for Championships and Special Events at the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC).

“I am thrilled to welcome Mike to John Jay College as our new Associate AD for Facilities and Operations,” commented Fieland. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Mike for over a decade, and I’m excited to collaborate and learn from him in this new capacity. This is a pivotal leadership role within our department, and I’m confident Mike will have a lasting, positive impact on our community. His passion for enhancing the student-athlete experience and supporting their development will serve the Bloodhounds tremendously well. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue striving for excellence on and off the field.”

In his new role, Sporton will oversee client management, contracts, and scheduling of all John Jay Athletics facilities, which include the upkeep and maintenance of the Fitness Center, Main Gymnasium, Auxiliary Gymnasium, Rifle Range, Tennis Court, Pool, Locker Rooms, and Multi-Purpose Rooms.

“I am incredibly honored to join the John Jay College community as the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations,” said Sporton. “I want to extend my sincere thanks to Vice President Daniel Matos and Interim Athletic Director Brandon Fieland for their support and confidence in me. It’s a privilege to help advance the mission of Bloodhound Athletics and to support our student-athletes by ensuring our facilities and operations reflect the excellence and spirit of this institution. I’m excited to get started and contribute to the continued success of John Jay Athletics.”

During his tenure with the CUNY Athletic Conference, Sporton was responsible for planning, organizing, and executing the conference’s 24 annual championships. He served as a liaison for the conference to the NCAA for all championship-related inquiries. He oversaw multiple special events for the conference, which included the SAAC Leadership & Rules Seminar, Basketball Luncheon, CUNYAC Alumni Celebration, the President’s Ceremony at the Basketball Championship, and the Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Ceremony. From 2014 to 2017, Sporton was involved in coordinating and planning the conference’s major fundraiser, The CUNY Golf Classic. 

A Queens College alum, Sporton held multiple roles at his alma mater, starting as an Athletic Event Assistant/Fitness Center Attendant while also being a member of the Knights’ baseball program. Upon graduation, Sporton spent two years as the Assistant/Interim Sports Information Director at Queens College and also held the positions of Athletics Facilities Coordinator/Event Manager and Assistant Baseball Coach. In this capacity, Sporton conducted and assisted in the supervision of facility maintenance and improvement projects, which included the construction and installation of an indoor batting cage, a gymnasium sound system, outdoor bleachers, and dugouts. He monitored and assisted in the sales, coordination, and scheduling of all athletic facility rentals, which generated upwards of $250,000. Sporton was pivotal in the creation of the intramural program, which included flag football, basketball, softball, swimming, and dodge ball.

Sporton was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Fitness & Game Operations in 2011. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing all home game operations for Queens College’s 19 sports. He hired and trained all gameday staff and was responsible for submitting all NCAA Regional/Championship bids. Queens College hosted both the 2011 & 2013 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Tennis Regionals, the 2012 ECC Men’s Basketball Conference Playoffs, and the 2013 ECC Track and Field Championships. During this time, he spearheaded projects that included resurfacing the baseball/softball infields, as well as the renovation and installation of new basketball bleachers.

He managed the Fitness Facility, which not only served Queens College Athletics but the entire campus. Sporton managed a $300,000 budget and generated revenue through the implementation of new marketing strategies to increase membership, notably with the 2012 “Commit To Get Fit” campaign. He hired, trained, and supervised a staff of over 30 workers.

Sporton was a four-year letterwinner and two-year team captain on the baseball team. He led the Knights in virtually every offensive category during his final two seasons as a senior. A product of Archbishop Molloy High School, he led the squad to three city championship finals appearances, including the CHSAA title in 2002.

Sporton holds a +2.9 USGA Handicap in the Met Section, which includes local qualifying into the MET AM, NY State Open, NY State Amateur, and first alternate for the US Amateur.

He resides in College Point, NY, with his wife, Stefanie, and their two sons, Joseph and Nicholas.


For the latest news on the CUNY Athletic Conference, log on to cunyathletics.com – the official site of the CUNY Athletic Conference. Also, become a follower of the CUNYAC on Instagram (@CUNYAC), Twitter (@CUNYAC) and YouTube (@CUNY Athletic Conference), and “LIKE” Us on Facebook (CUNY Athletic Conference).





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Nanooks Volleyball Earns Seventh-Straight AVCA Team Academic Award

Story Links LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team has once again been recognized for excellence in the classroom, earning the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2024-25 academic year. The Nanooks are one of 1,458 teams honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, marking a record-breaking total of collegiate […]

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team has once again been recognized for excellence in the classroom, earning the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2024-25 academic year. The Nanooks are one of 1,458 teams honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, marking a record-breaking total of collegiate and high school programs to receive the distinction.

The award celebrates teams that maintain a year-long GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale). This is the seventh consecutive year—and the 11th time in program history—that Alaska has earned the AVCA Team Academic Award. The Nanooks first received the honor in 2008.

“It is very exciting to see that the record-setting, on-court successes during the 2024–25 season have extended to the classroom,” said AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon. “The fact that more programs earned the Team Academic Award than ever before is evidence of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their goals as both students and athletes.”

Head coach Brian Scott echoed those sentiments, saying, “Our athletes should be very proud of all they accomplished this last year. They competed hard on the court, worked hard in practice, and more importantly, excelled in the classroom. Juggling responsibilities as a student-athlete is very difficult. For them to meet such high standards academically speaks to the high character and work ethic of this great group.”

The Nanooks posted a team GPA of 3.52 this season and had eight student-athletes named to the GNAC Volleyball Academic All-Conference Team, with an additional six named GNAC FAR Scholar-Athletes.

GNAC Volleyball Academic All-Conference

GNAC FAR Scholar-Athletes

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