HOUSTON – The University of St. Thomas was recognized for its commitment to integrity, respect, and fair play as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced its 2025-26 Winter Team Sportsmanship Awards.

The Celts earned conference recognition in two sports, with the men's basketball team sharing the SCAC Sportsmanship Award with the University of the Ozarks and the men's swimming & diving team capturing the conference honor outright.

The men's basketball recognition marks a historic achievement, as UST and the University of the Ozarks became the first two programs in SCAC history to share the conference's Team Sportsmanship Award in the same season. It is also the first time the Celts men's basketball program has been recognized by its conference peers with the honor.

UST's men's swimming & diving program also made history by earning the program's first-ever SCAC Team Sportsmanship Award. The Celts became just the fifth different men's swimming & diving program in conference history to receive the recognition, finishing ahead of Austin College and the University of the Ozarks in the voting.

The SCAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) established the Team Sportsmanship Awards prior to the 2016-17 academic year to recognize the programs that best exemplify outstanding sportsmanship and fair play throughout the season. The awards honor the conduct and character displayed by student-athletes and coaching staffs during conference competition.

Each member institution's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee votes on the awards by ranking the top three teams in each sport. First-place votes receive five points, second-place votes earn three points, and third-place votes receive one point before the conference winners are determined.

The Celts' recognition in both men's basketball and men's swimming & diving reflects UST Athletics' continued commitment to competing with excellence while upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship on and off the field of play.