TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A total of four University of Alabama athletics teams have been honored with the 2018 NCAA Division I Public Recognition Award, the NCAA announced Wednesday. It marks the fourth year in a row that Alabama has had four-or-more teams recognized with the NCAA honor.

"We are very proud to have four of our programs receive the NCAA's Public Recognition Award this year," UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. "To have at least one team honored every year since the award's inception shows the emphasis The University of Alabama puts on balancing academics and athletics and our drive to be successful in both areas."

The Alabama gymnastics, softball, women's golf and men's cross country squads all earned the honor in 2018. The women's golf team was honored for the eighth-consecutive year. Gymnastics and men's cross country both earned the accolade for the fourth year in a row. Softball's recognition was its second and first since 2009.

Each year, the NCAA honors selected NCAA 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 37 times in the award's 13-year history. The overall APR report covering all sports will be released next week.

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