TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A total of five University of Alabama athletics teams have been honored with the 2019 NCAA Division I Public Recognition Award, the NCAA announced Wednesday. It marks the fifth year in a row that Alabama has had at least four teams recognized with the honor.

"We have had at least one team honored every year since the award's inception and four or more the last five years in a row," UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. "That kind of consistency highlights the emphasis The University of Alabama places on both academics and athletics and our focus on being successful in both."

The Alabama men's basketball, women's golf, gymnastics, softball and volleyball squads all earned the honor in 2019. The women's golf team was recognized for the ninth-consecutive year. Gymnastics earned the accolade for the fifth year in a row, while softball earned its second-consecutive recognition and third overall. It was the fifth such honor for volleyball and the second for men's basketball.

Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top-10 percent of all squads in each sport.

Crimson Tide teams have earned the NCAA honor 42 times in the award's 14-year history. The overall APR report covering all sports will be released next week.

Alabama Athletics news can be found on Twitter and Instagram (@UA_Athletics) and on Facebook (AlabamaAthletics).