Success on the field starts in the classroom for South Dakota Mines football. 

RAPID CITY, SD – For the second consecutive year, the Hardrockers have earned the prestigious Brechler Award, recognizing the team with the highest grade point average in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). The honor was presented earlier this month during the 2026 RMAC Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet. 

Competing against nine other NCAA Division II institutions across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah, the Hardrockers finished the 2025-2026 academic year with a 3.229 cumulative team GPA. The team posted a 3.20 GPA during the fall semester and a 3.25 GPA in the spring. 

For head coach Charlie Flohr, the award reflects the culture his players have built both on and off the field. 

“What a great honor it is for our team to win the Brechler Award for the second year in a row,” Flohr said. “I could not be more proud of our student-athletes. I am extremely proud of the hard work, dedication and commitment our players put into their academics. This is an award that is shared with so many people on campus. Special thanks to our academic support staff, faculty and staff and the entire university.”

The recognition marks the second Brechler Award for the football program and the fourth overall for the Hardrocker teams since the award was established in 2012. The annual honor recognizes the conference’s top team GPA in each of the RMAC’s 22 sponsored sports.  

Colorado Mesa led all institutions with six teams receiving Brechler Awards this season. Colorado State University Pueblo followed with three teams earning honors, while Colorado Christian, Regis, the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and Western Colorado University each had two teams recognized. Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Metropolitan State University Denver, South Dakota Mines and Westminster all had one team honored.

The Brechler Awards are based on team GPAs from the academic year and include all student-athletes listed on an institution’s NCAA eligibility roster. Team GPAs are calculated using the total quality points for each semester divided by the total credit hours completed.

The award is named in honor of Paul W. Brechler, RMAC commissioner from 1976 to 1990. Along with his wife, Wanda, Brechler was among the first inductees into the RMAC Hall of Fame. He also served as athletic director at the University of Iowa and later as commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference.