"A decade after graduation, almost everyone will have forgotten where and what they played. But every time they speak, everyone will know whether or not they are educated."
- Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh University of Notre Dame President
2010 - The Lightning Football team was awarded a Minnesota Class AAAAA Team Academic Gold Award, which is the highest team academic award possible with a combined GPA of 3.3. This is the 8th consecutive year that the Lightning football team has received an academic award.
| CHAS CHASNEY | 1997 | 3.96 |
| TIM SLUITER | 1998 | 3.96 |
| TIM SLUITER | 1999 | 3.96 |
| NATE GROVER | 2000 | 3.97 |
| NATE GROVER and JOEL PETERSON | 2001 | 3.97 |
| JOSH RUD and JASON CERMAK | 2002 | 3.96 |
| RYAN CZPAR | 2003 | 3.98 |
| KANE BECHSTEIN | 2004 | 3.98 |
| JEFF FREDERICKSON | 2005 | 3.96 |
| PAT LENERTZ | 2006 | 3.99 |
| ERIK FABRY and ERIK KLEFSAAS | 2007 | 3.94 |
| TY GROSKREUTZ | 2008 | 4 |
| JOHN SHEVLIN | 2002 | LINEBACKER |
| PAT SOMMERSTAD | 2003 | LINEBACKER |
| JEFF FREDERICKSON | 2005 | LINEBACKER |
| ERIC ZIMMERMAN | 2005 | WIDE RECEIVER |
| PAT LENERTZ | 2006 | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN |
| ERIK FABRY | 2007 | PUNTER |
| TY GROSKREUTZ | 2008 | LINEBACKER |
| BRAD LOSEE | 2009 | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN |
| MATT GALLOWAY | 2010 | LINEBACKER |