A new NCAA award will allow student-athletes to show off their domination in the classroom as well as on the field.

The Elite 88 will honor the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site of each of the NCAA’s 88 national championships.

The first Elite 88 recipient will be named from among the four teams that advance to the Division II Field Hockey Championship on November 13-15.

The initiative is the result of former NCAA President Myles Brand’s desire to recognize student-athlete academic success on the Association’s highest athletics stage.

“While an important part of academic reform has been to recognize teams performing at a high level academically, we also want to make sure to spotlight those student-athletes who have reached the  highest level of competition in their sport while achieving excellence in their academic pursuits,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs.

Recipients must satisfy rigorous criteria. Eligible student-athletes include those classified as sophomores or above and who have been participating in their sport for at least two years with their current institution. In addition, a candidate must be an active member of the team and a member of the squad traveling and competing at the championships site.

Nomination forms will be e-mailed later this month to athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives, compliance officers and sports information directors. The deadline for submission will be specific to each sport and will fall during the week of the championship. Only student-athletes from institutions that submit nomination forms will be considered.

Recipients will be honored publicly at the respective championship and presented with a specially designed trophy.

Erin O’Connell, director of athletics at Seattle Pacific who was among a group of athletics administrators asked to help develop the honor, said the award epitomizes every NCAA institution’s goal of educating and graduating student-athletes.

“The spirit of the award recognizes what it means to be an NCAA student-athlete,” she said. “This award speaks exactly to academic reform in terms of pushing that we’re students before we’re athletes.”

Beyond spotlighting the academic prowess of student-athletes who also shine in their athletics pursuits, there is a broader mission behind the new honor. Julie Cromer, NCAA director for academic and membership affairs, said the Elite 88 award is also about changing the perception of student-athletes in the minds of spectators and fans.

“One of the things we all know Myles was interested in was eliminating the ‘dumb jock’ myth,” said Cromer. “At each of our 88 championships, we have opportunities to continue to refute that myth by highlighting the balanced performances of the top athletes and top students from each team.”

Wellesley Athletics Director Bridget Belgiovine said the best way to refute the perception that student-athletes don’t take their studies seriously is to highlight those student-athletes who are competing for national championships and competing in the classroom, too.

“To be able to say not only are these students the best at their sport but equally as good in the classroom, that’s very powerful,” said Belgiovine. “It’s the real measure of Myles’ academic-reform movement.”

“Every time I spoke with someone in the membership about this program, they got excited and felt this type of recognition for academic success on a national stage was a long time coming,” said Mark Bedics, associate director of media coordination and championships.

Bedics was member of the original project team that developed the concept. “So many NCAA student-athletes excel in both the classroom and on the field of play, we felt this was a natural way to bring attention and recognize those individuals who are so deserving,” he said.