SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – Butler University senior quarterback Reagan Andrew, Marist University graduate student and offensive lineman Will Aaronson, and Valparaiso University redshirt quarterback Rowa Keefe represent the Pioneer Football League as two of a record 206 semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame.
The Campbell Trophy® is college football's premier scholar-athlete award. Celebrating its 37th year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes the nation's best football scholar-athlete for combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
The 206 semifinalists are the largest in the award's history, eclipsing the previous record of 204 set in 2024. Collectively, the semifinalists boast a 3.64 average GPA and include 130 team captains, 24 All-Americans and 98 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees.
Now in its 68th year, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments have recognized 954 individuals, with this year's scholarships pushing the program's all-time distribution above $13.5 million. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's academic, athletic, and leadership accomplishments.
The NFF will announce 12 to 16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, each candidate must be competing in the 2026 season as a senior in his final year of eligibility or a graduate student/graduate transfer who has already earned a degree; have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor; and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The NFF Awards Committee selects the class each year; it includes a nationally recognized group of media members, NFF College Football Hall of Famers, and athletics administrators.
About the Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation’s heartland. Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, and Valparaiso University were among the league’s founding members in 1993, with Davidson College, Marist College, Morehead State University, Presbyterian College, the University of San Diego, the University of St. Thomas, and Stetson University joining to form the current 11-team league.