CLEVELAND– Western Michigan University men's athletics program has been named the winner of the 2016-17 Mid-American Conference Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) Men's Academic Achievement Award.  

The Broncos have won the award for the fifth time in program history and for the first time since the 2012-13 academic year. Besides WMU, only two other insitutions have won the award, with Toledo winning three times and Miami taking the honor twice.

The FAR Awards are designed to recognize the conference institution with the overall highest-grade point average (GPA) rank by gender.

The conference FAR's worked with the Athletic Academic Advisors to compute an award that best represents the academic achievement of students in a competitive setting.  Using the same ranking method as the long-time Reese and Jacoby trophies (traditionally awarded to the best overall male and female athletic programs in the MAC), the FAR Awards are given to those institutions male and female programs with the highest overall GPA rank points within the conference.  Only MAC sponsored sports are used.

Western Michigan had the highest GPA rank average in 2016-17 as the Bronco men carried the highest league GPA in two MAC sponsored sports both football and men's basketball, while also posting the second highest in men's soccer and third best GPA in men's tennis during the 2016-17 academic season.

Men's Faculty Athletics Representative Academic Achievement Award
2016-17    Western Michigan University
2015-16    University of Toledo
2014-15    Miami University
2013-14    Miami University
2012-13    Western Michigan University
2011-12    Western Michigan University
2010-11    University of Toledo
2009-10    University of Toledo
2008-09    Western Michigan University
2007-08    Western Michigan University