The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Cross Country’s Rivera awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
03.11.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Rodger Rivera is the 38th Longhorn to receive the award.
AUSTIN, Texas – Former Texas Cross Country and Track and Field student-athlete Rodger Rivera has been named a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
A two-time Texas alum (BS '24, MA '25), Rivera is enrolled at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and is one of 42 student-athletes nationally to receive the prestigious award. He is the 38th Longhorn to earn the scholarship and marks the second consecutive year a member of the men's cross country team has received the honor, joining his former teammate Isaac Alonzo.
A two-time All-American at Texas, Rivera earned USTFCCCA Cross Country All-America honors in 2023 after collecting second-team All-America recognition during the indoor track and field season. A 2023 Cross Country All-Region selection and two-time All-Big 12 Cross Country honoree (2022, 2023), Rivera ranks third in the indoor 5,000 meters on Texas' all-time performers list and fifth in the 3,000 meters.
The NCAA awarded $10,000 to 42 exceptional student-athletes as part of its Postgraduate Scholarship program. Representing winter sports across all three NCAA divisions, the recipients demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities.
Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually in the fall, winter and spring, with 21 scholarships awarded to men and 21 to women each season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship intended to support graduate study at an accredited institution.
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on athletic and academic achievement, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.
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