The Gophers athletics department announced Monday that its 700-plus athletes posted a 3.28 collective grade-point average for fall semester, bettering its previous semester record of 3.24, set in the spring of 2017.

Four Gophers programs posted their highest semester GPA last fall, according to the school: football (3.20), men's hockey (3.41), softball (3.54) and women's swimming and diving (3.49).

In Minnesota's grading system, an A grade is worth four points. The department's 3.28 average is considered to be just below B+, which is 3.33.

The Gophers announced they had 37 student-athletes with 4.0 GPA semesters and currently have 13 student-athletes with a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

J.T. Bruett, director of the McNamara Academic Center, credited the student athletes, administration and coaches in a statement, along with the new Athletes Village, which opened last winter.

"The impact Athletes Village has had is tremendous," Bruett said in the news release. "By tripling our learning center areas, our student-athletes now have a much-needed space to continue their academic success."

JOE CHRISTENSEN