The Pat Summitt Award recognizes an individual within the NCAA membership who has demonstrated devotion to the development of college athletes and made a positive impact on their lives. Named after Pat Summitt, this award honors her contributions to sports and her commitment to student-athlete success both on and off the court. The 2026 recipient of the award is legendary fencing icon, Dr. Nikki Franke. Fencing icon Nikki Franke, former student-athlete at Brooklyn and longtime coach at Temple, built a national powerhouse over her 50-year coaching career. She led Temple to the 1992 NCAA women’s foil team championship, became the university’s all-time winningest women’s coach, and guided generations of fencers to NCAA and All-America honors. An Olympian and four-time National Coach of the Year, Franke was the first woman of color to win an NCAA team title in fencing. Beyond competition, she championed Title IX, co-founded the Black Women in Sport Foundation, and mentored countless athle...