ST. LOUIS – Seventeen student-athletes -- including North Dakota State University tight end Matt Veldman -- highlight more than 300 who earned selection to the 2011-12 Missouri Valley Football Honor Roll, as announced by the league office. Those 17 student-athletes earned the league's highest academic achievement by capturing the Missouri Valley Football Conference President's Council Academic Excellence Award.

The President's Council Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (through Fall 2011 semester) and participation in athletics a minimum of two years. The student-athlete must be within 18 hours of graduation. Also, 127 student-athletes received the league's Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 for the previous two semesters (freshmen are not eligible.)

In addition, the Missouri Valley Football Conference has announced its 2011-12 Honor Roll, which recognizes academic achievement of student-athletes. To qualify for the Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have recorded a minimum 3.0 grade point average for a specified term (Fall 2011), must have been a member of an athletics team, and must have a minimum of 12 hours of enrollment during the fall.

North Dakota State's 43 award winners:

PRESIDENTS COUNCIL ACADEMIC AWARD - Matthew Veldman.

COMMISSIONER'S ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD - Joseph Blackmore, Coulter Boyer, Ryan Drevlow, Kyle Emanuel, Brock Gion, Andrew Grothmann, Jesse Hinz, Justin Juckem, Adam Keller, Daniel Luecke, Robert Ollman, Ryan Smith, Scott Stoczynski, Esley Thorton, Matthew Veldman, Zachary Vraa.

HONOR ROLL - Boen Andersen, Joseph Blackmore, Coulter Boyer, Garrett Bruhn, Amos Buehner, Brennan Cable, Jedre Cyr, Ryan Drevlow, Christian Dudzik, Dylan Dunn, Kyle Emanuel, Trevor Gebhart, Tyler Gefroh, Tyler Gimmestad, Brock Gion, Andrew Grothmann, Ricky Hagen, Brady Hansen, Michael Hardie, Jessie Hinz, Ryan Jastram, Brock Jensen, Jeffrey Jerve, Cole Jirik, Justin Juckem, Adam Keller, Daniel Luecke, Joseph Lund, D.J. McNorton, Nathanial Moody, Robert Ollman, John Pike, Brian Schaetz, Ryan Smith, Joel Sonnenfeld, Scott Stoczynski, Esley Thorton, Matthew Veldman, Zachary Vraa, Cooper Wahlo, Carson Wentz, Chad Willson, Alex Yaggie.

North Dakota State won the program's first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Bison were 14-1 overall and 7-1 in MVFC.

The Bison open the 2012 season against Robert Morris at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, in the Fargodome.