CLEVELAND - The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) has announced the winner of the 2024-25 Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, with Slippery Rock University alum Brayden Long earning the honor. Long emerged from the Atlantic Region as its representative after a national vote by the Division II commissioners, and then came out on top of another round of voting comprised of all eight regional winners (listed in the table below.) Roberts Wesleyan University's Brynn King was named the 2024-25 Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

"Brynn and Brayden exemplify the core values of Division II athletics—passion, purpose, and performance in every facet of student life," said Will Prewitt, Commissioner of the GAC and President of the D2 CCA. "They are not only champions in their sports, but leaders in the classroom and their communities."

Long becomes the second male Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference student-athlete to be named a D2 CCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year and just the third overall after Mercyhurst's Ian Wild in 2010-11 (Men's) and Clarion's Jamie Wolf for the 2006-07 season (Women's.) Long put together one of the most impressive years of academic and athletic honors in recent memory. He was named the PSAC's Pete Nevins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, becoming only the second male student-athlete in the award's history to go back-to-back.

A 2024 Slippery Rock University graduate, he was the first student-athlete in SRU history and the first male in PSAC history to earn the NCAA Division II Academic All-American of the Year honor. A two-time national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy and the 2024 Division II Football Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, Long led The Rock to back-to-back NCAA national quarterfinal appearances while setting multiple school records. Over two seasons as starting quarterback, he threw for 7,527 yards and 64 touchdowns, becoming the program’s all-time leader in completions and completion percentage, and second in both passing yards and touchdowns. In the classroom, Long graduated with a 4.0 GPA in sport management and was named the Atlantic Region Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. His academic and athletic excellence also earned him a spot as a finalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the "Academic Heisman."
 
He leaves the SRU football program ranked No. 1 all-time in completions (631) and completion percentage (67%) and No. 2 all-time in passing yards (7,527) and passing TD (64), despite starting only two seasons. He went 24-5 overall and 5-2 in NCAA postseason games as the starting quarterback. Long currently works as a full-time assistant coach at Shippensburg University, coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers.

2024-25 D2 CCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Men's Regional Winners
 

Name	School	Conference	Sport	Major	GPA
Jack Browder	Carson-Newman	SAC	Basketball	Business Administration	4.00
Cedric Buessing	Indianapolis	GLVC	Swimming & Diving	Business Administration and Management	3.88
Jake Dugger	Harding	GAC	Football	Information Systems	3.72
Brayden Long	Slippery Rock	PSAC	Football	Sport Management	4.00
Brevin McCool	Lubbock Christian	LSC	Baseball	Biology	4.00
Tommy Murr	Alabama Huntsville	GSC	Basketball	Business Management	3.67
Laurenz Waldbauer	Northwest Nazarene	GNAC	Track & Field	Global Business	4.00
Sean Welsh	Molloy	ECC	Baseball	Finance	3.91

 

About D2 CCA: Initiated in 1992 to promote its member conferences and institutions, D2 CCA has made its mark in providing a united front for NCAA Division II athletics. Created after the break-up of the College Division Commissioners Association, the D2 CCA continues to create lines of communication and opportunities for its member conferences. The D2 CCA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 61^st year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.