INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – UT Tyler athletics Patriot Sports Camp for a Cause was named a finalist for the 2026 Award of Excellence by NCAA Division II as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The award highlights initiatives that exemplify the Division II philosophy of community engagement and student-athlete leadership. 26 schools and one conference were named finalists for the award.
 
The overall finalists were chosen by a committee of athletics administrators and the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, with the SAAC members ultimately selecting the top three finalists. The winner will be announced at the Division II business session this month at the 2026 NCAA Convention.
 
The Patriots initiative was the Patriot Sports Camp for a Cause, a two-day camp benefiting Kerr County Flood Relief after devastating flooding took place in Central Texas that caused widespread destruction.
 
The Patriots camp, in partnership with UT Health East Texas, provided multi-sport instruction with UT Tyler coaches and student-athletes. In total, 136 campers spent two days with the Patriots, learning various sports and going through drills and scrimmages with their fellow campers.
 
In total, the camp raised $8,385.50 for the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country's flood relief fund.