Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media.
Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889.
[1] The 1986 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and United Press International (UPI) for the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.
The AP and UPI chose third teams, while NABC selected a fourth team as well; AP also lists honorable mention selections.
[2] To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the different All-American teams.