Azusa Pacific men's and women's soccer were recipients of the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award, which was announced in late September. In order to qualify for the award, a team had to post a composite team grade point average of 3.0 or better among all players on the roster for the 2019-20 academic year.
 
The women's program posted a 3.7 cumulative GPA, which earned them the Team Academic Award for the second-consecutive year. Of the 25 student-athletes on the Cougars' roster in 2019-20, 22 had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, including 15 who finished at 3.5 or above.
 
"Our players understand they are student-athletes, with student coming before athlete," said head coach Brooke Lincoln, "It's hard to play at this level with all the demands, while also staying on top of academics, and yet our players not only find a way to do it, but do it with excellence. This is a team award we are all proud of and I couldn't be more proud of the girls."
 
The men's team earned the award for the first time after posting a cumulative team GPA of 3.3, which is the highest team GPA that the program has seen in the NCAA era. The Cougars' success in the classroom was a reflection of the discipline and commitment to excellence that the squad possessed in all facets this past year, as Azusa Pacific claimed its second-consecutive PacWest title and became the first team in conference history to finish the regular season undefeated (18-0).
 
"I am extremely proud of the effort the team put in during the 2019-20 year in their academic pursuits," said head coach Dave Blomquist, "We made it our goal to achieve over a 3.0 GPA and we were able to do just that. The credit goes to our student-athletes for working extremely hard and holding each other accountable, and it also goes to the tremendous support staff we have at Azusa Pacific, both in the athletic department and across the campus. We have so many people that care about our student-athletes, it is truly amazing."
 
While there has not been a 2020 season thus far due to the global pandemic, both the men's and women's teams are enrolled in virtual classes and are in pursuit of another excellent academic year in 2020-21. PacWest competition will begin no earlier than January 2021, with the goal of playing soccer at some point in the spring semester.