SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior Neil Daterao and junior Jack Plesser of the Union College men's basketball team were recognized for their play on the court and success in the classroom with spots on the 2026 CSC Academic All-District Team, selected by College Sports Communicators and announced on Tuesday. Plesser earned the honor for the second straight season, while Daterao was recognized for the first time.
 
To be nominated for College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of or start at least 66 percent of an institution's games, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, and reach sophomore athletic and academic standing at the school. All Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot.

Daterao started all 22 of his appearances for Union as a senior, averaging almost 16 minutes per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field at the forward spot. He scored a season-high 10 points in a win over Clarkson University on December 6 and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds versus Plattsburgh State on November 22.

Plesser had a standout junior campaign for Union, earning NABC All-America second-team honors and Liberty League Player of the Year recognition after averaging 22.6 points per game. She started 24 of his 25 appearances in his third season at Union, ranking top-25 in Division III in scoring average while leading the Liberty League in field-goal percentage (55.3 percent) and ranking second in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocks (37).

With the two honorees, Union student-athletes have now earned 300 Academic All-District honors since 2001.