The Canisius College golf team is one of eight Division I programs to be named to the Golf Coaches Association of America President's Special Recognition List, the GCAA announced today. To receive this recognition, teams needed to record a final grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale.

Canisius is the only MAAC school to be honored by the GCAA for the 2008-09 academic year. East Tennessee State was named the Division I Academic National Champion with a team GPA of 3.78. Joining the Golden Griffins and East Tennessee State on the President's Special Recognition List is Belmont, Detroit, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Rice and Seton Hall.

The Griffs will open the 2009 fall schedule Sunday, Sept. 6, when the team takes part in the Turning Stone Intercollegiate Tournament, hosted by the University of Missouri in Verona, N.Y. The 54-hole event will be played at the Kaluhyat Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr., designed course that was recently ranked No. 3 among "America's Best New Upscale Courses" by Golf Digest.