Allstate, AFCA announce 2026 Good Works Workforce nominees acknowledged for management in neighborhood service

Key Takeaways:

• Allstate and AFCA named 162 student-athletes as nominees for the 2026 Good Works Workforce, recognizing faculty soccer gamers who lead by way of neighborhood service, lecturers and athletics.
• This 12 months’s nominees are creating optimistic affect of their communities by way of causes starting from maternal well being and youth mentorship to supporting youngsters with disabilities and veterans.
• For the primary time in this system’s 35-year historical past, a feminine student-athlete is among the many Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce nominees.
• The Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce displays Allstate’s longstanding dedication to supporting student-athletes who strengthen their communities by way of service.

NORTHBROOK, Sick., July 20, 2026 – Allstate and the American Soccer Coaches Affiliation (AFCA) at present named nominees for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce, recognizing student-athletes and head coaches from each stage of school soccer who’re making an affect by way of neighborhood service, tutorial achievement and management.

For the primary time within the award’s 35-year historical past, a feminine student-athlete is among the many nominees. Gianna Bennett, a kicker at Northwestern School in Iowa, earned a nomination after serving to increase $40,000 for a maternal well being schooling marketing campaign that gives expectant dad and mom with doubtlessly life-saving info to assist wholesome pregnancies.

What’s the Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce?

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce acknowledges faculty soccer student-athletes who reveal distinctive dedication to neighborhood service, lecturers and athletics. Established in 1992 and introduced by Allstate since 2008, this system honors gamers who use their platforms to strengthen communities and assist causes necessary to them.

What causes are this 12 months’s nominees supporting?

This 12 months’s nominees are tackling a variety of challenges in communities throughout the US and past. Their efforts embrace youth mentorship, maternal well being consciousness, incapacity inclusion, childhood most cancers analysis, clear water entry and assist for navy veterans.

Examples embrace:

• Gideon Davidson, Clemson College, Working Again: Raised practically $13,000 by way of Gid’s Fundraiser for Flourish Adoption Ministries in South Carolina, serving to fund adoption-related bills for households and assist for beginning moms.
• Noah Fifita, College of Arizona, Quarterback: Based First Down Religion Basis to honor religion, household and soccer whereas uplifting communities by way of service, together with an annual youth soccer camp that mixes expertise coaching with mentorship.
• Jaylen McClain, Ohio State College, Defensive Again: Based On a regular basis Legends Basis to empower youth and households by way of service, together with funding tutorial and athletic scholarships and organizing management improvement packages for youth.
• Sam Nolan, Saint John’s College (Minnesota), Large Receiver: Organized crew fundraising occasions for St. Jude Youngsters’s Analysis Hospital, serving to increase greater than $150,000 to assist youngsters battling cancers and different life-threatening ailments.
• Luke Paulsen, Morningside College, Punter: Created a “Youngsters Captain” program that gives significant gameday experiences for youngsters with disabilities and their households, together with main the crew onto the sector at house video games.
• Marcus Ratcliffe, Texas A&M College, Security: Launched Mission 3:12 in partnership with Stroll Amongst Heroes, donating $312 for each Aggie defensive turnover to fund academic journeys to Normandy, France, for World Conflict II veterans.
• Mudia Reuben, College of South Florida, Large Receiver: Used Title, Picture and Likeness (NIL) earnings to create the Nigerian Water Challenge, bringing entry to wash water to villages and faculties in Nigeria.
• Colin Simmons, College of Texas, Defensive Finish: Based Clay’s Coloration Crew, a nonprofit honoring his youthful brother that helps people and households affected by autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD) in South Dallas and past.
• Edwin Spillman, College of Tennessee, Linebacker: Used NIL earnings to ascertain the Wan Famul Basis to assist folks in his house nation of Sierra Leone, together with plans to construct housing for households in want.

What makes the 2026 nominee class distinctive?

From head coaches constructing cultures of service to student-athletes making an affect in their very own communities and all over the world, this 12 months’s nominees are creating significant change. Their efforts embrace serving to increase a file $18.8 million for childhood most cancers analysis, delivering greater than 10,000 hours of tutoring and producing over $27,000 for World Conflict II veterans.

How is the Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce chosen?

The 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce will probably be introduced in September and embrace 22 student-athletes and one honorary head coach. One student-athlete may also be chosen as crew captain and obtain the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

A range panel composed of former Good Works Workforce members, faculty soccer coaches, journalists and different leaders related to the award evaluations nominations from throughout the nation. Voters consider candidates primarily based on the breadth and depth of their neighborhood service, demonstrated management, tutorial achievement and the measurable affect they’ve had on the folks and causes they serve. The panel then selects 11 NCAA Soccer Bowl Subdivision gamers (FBS), 11 gamers from the NCAA Soccer Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III and the Nationwide Affiliation of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) ranks, and one honorary head coach.

Who’re the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Workforce nominees?

The 2026 nominee class contains student-athletes and coaches from each stage of school soccer competitors.

• 175 complete nominees, together with 113 FBS gamers, 49 student-athletes from the FCS, Divisions II, III and NAIA ranks, and 13 head coach nominees.
• First feminine nominee in this system’s 35-year historical past.
• Massive Ten leads all conferences with 21 nominees, adopted by the ACC with 16. The SEC and Massive 12 every have 15 nominees.

The total 2026 nominee class is listed under in alphabetical order by faculty.

Soccer Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Mixed Divisions (FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA)

Head Coach

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