INDIANAPOLIS -- Oakland University Athletics has been awarded the Horizon League McCafferty Trophy, which recognizes the league's all-sport champion, the Golden Grizzlies' fifth title since joining the Horizon League in 2013.
 
The Golden Grizzlies were named co-champions with league-foe Youngstown State after earning 43 points overall while also finishing atop the men's sports standings with 25 points, while the Oakland women garnered 18 points on the year.
 
"During what was a most atypical and challenging year, Golden Grizzlies student-athletes, coaches, and staff embodied the athletics department's core values -- excellence, integrity, optimism, and perseverance -- to become co-champions of the Horizon League's McCafferty Trophy," Director of Athletics, Steve Waterfield said. "Though a remarkable achievement in any year, it is particularly meaningful this year. Each student-athlete, coach, and staff member contributed in some way to realize this achievement. The achievement also would not have been possible without President Pescovitz's continued support of the athletics department and OU student-athletes, and the generosity of donors and members of the OU community. Go Golden Grizzlies!"
 
Oakland captured three Horizon League Championships during the 2020-21 season. The men's and women's swimming and diving teams won the first two titles of the year for Oakland as the men won their 43rd-straight league title and the women earned their 27th consecutive title. The men's golf team had a season to remember asthe Golden Grizzlies won the Horizon League Championship for the first time in program history.
 
From 2014-18 the Golden Grizzlies won four consecutive McCafferty Trophy titles,the second-longest winning streak in Horizon League history, trailing only Notre Dame, which won seven consecutive trophies from 1988 to 1995, and Oral Roberts, which won the first seven titles after the league was founded in 1979 through 1986. No current Horizon League school has ever won four-straight titles and in just eight years as a member, the Golden Grizzlies have already accumulated the third-most trophies in league history.
 
As a result of the cancellation of spring competition due to COVID-19, the Horizon League announced it would not award the 2019-20 McCafferty Trophy or the All-Sports Awards. At the time of the canceled spring season, Oakland led the McCafferty Trophy standings with 39 points, earning three post-season championships.

Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to a member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points, based on its finish in the League's 19 championship sports.

For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes. For all other sports, points are based on performance in the league championships.