The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) has been selecting the nation's pre-eminent Academic All-American team for over one-half of a century.

Criteria for the award consists of a student-athlete be at least a sophomore, earn a varsity letter in their sport and have attained a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (changed from 3.20 for the 2008-09 academic year). Nominees are first voted on by district, then all first-team all-district winners are placed onto a national ballot from which the Academic All-America teams are selected.

The sports of football, women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's track & field/cross country, women's track & field/cross country have their own respective Academic All-America teams, while the remaining NCAA-sponsored sports of women's bowling, women's crew, men's and women's fencing, women's field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo and men's wrestling are grouped together onto an At-Large team.

Naval Academy student-athletes have totaled 69 Academic All-America certificates over the years, with 36 of those awards coming since the start of the 1999-2000 academic year.

--At-Large teams are determine in the spring regardless of the competition season.
**denotes multiple award winner