IRVINE, Calif. –  This summer Concordia University Irvine was honored as the 2026 NCAA DII Team IMPACT Campus of the Year.

The prestigious award announcement came at the 2026 Team IMPACT Fellowship Summit in Boston in late July as one school from each division was selected for national recognition for making a difference.

Every year, the Team IMPACT Fellowship Program brings together student-athletes from across the country who are committed to going beyond competing in their sport. Through leadership, service, and a shared belief in the power of inclusion, their Fellows help strengthen the connection between college athletics and children facing serious illness and disability.

Concordia has continued to build a strong culture of service and inclusion, led by former Concordia SAAC President and now women's volleyball alum Mattie Prior.

In this leadership role, Prior spearheaded the Sunset Beach 5K in line with Team IMPACT's All In 5K in conjunction with nearby NCAA D1 school UC Irvine. She rallied other student-athletes to raise critical funds for Team IMPACT, and created new opportunities for meaningful on-campus interactions for families and teams.

Prior also served as PacWest Conference SAAC President during the 2025-26 school year, helping student-athletes across the league discuss new ways to evolve and contribute to their local communities and beyond. Through intentional leadership and a genuine commitment to creating belonging, Concordia has become a model for how one passionate leader can inspire an entire athletics department.

"We are so proud of our student-athletes and coaches," said Concordia VP of Athletics Crystal Rosenthal. "Team IMPACT truly is a great organization to be a part of and we want to help make a difference any way that we can. 

"We especially want to thank Mattie Prior and our SAAC reps that helped strengthen this relationship," added Rosenthal.

For children and families, the program provides connection, inclusion and joy during challenging circumstances. For student-athletes, it creates opportunities to lead with empathy, serve their communities and better understand the platform they have through college sports.

"Mattie's leadership has helped strengthen Team IMPACT's presence on campus while encouraging teammates and fellow student-athletes to embrace the life-changing relationships that define their mission," Team IMPACT said in a release.

Division I winner Kent State and Division III honoree Swarthmore College were also recognized nationally.

For the Team IMPACT announcement, Click Here. 
For more information on the NCAA and Team IMPACT, Click Here.