Ahead of the Football Championship Subdivision title game in Frisco, Texas on Sunday, 3 North Dakota State University student-athletes received
Football student-athlete receives second NCAA Elite 90 Award
NDSU linebacker Cole Wisniewski is the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. It is the second straight year he has won the award.
Wisniewski, a junior from Sparta, Wisconsin, has a 4.00 grade-point average majoring in business administration. He was presented with the award during the NDSU team photo session on Jan. 6 at Toyota Stadium.
The Elite 90, an honor founded by the NCAA, is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.
This is NDSU’s 18th Elite 90 Award across five different sports, and Wisniewski is the ninth at the FCS championship game. He joins linebacker Esley Thorton (2013), quarterback Carson Wentz (2014-16), wide receiver Daniel Polansky (2018), tight end Ben Ellefson (2019), and linebacker Jackson Hankey (2020).
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Football student-athletes named to Academic All-Star Team
NDSU linebackers James Kaczor (#26) and Luke Weerts (#47) were among 53 student-athletes selected to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team for the 2022 season.
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees must have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in undergraduate or graduate study and have been a starter or key player. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the institution. They also must have participated in 50% of the games played at their designated position.
