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ASU's Academic Progress Rate ranks second in Pac-10 Conference


May 24, 2011

The NCAA announced its annual Academic Progress Rates today and Arizona State University’s average APR score of 976 ranks tied for second in the Pacific-10 Conference with California and USC, behind Stanford.

In fact, nine of ASU’s 21 sports finished in the top four in the Pacific-10 Conference, while 13 of the 21 finished in the top five in the league. Twenty of ASU’s 21 sports teams finished with a score of over 950. All 12 women’s sports at ASU finished with scores above 962 and all sports (21) except one finished above a score of 953.

Since the APR measurement began in 2003-04, ASU’s average for all sports has increased from 937 to 976 (2009-10).

The No. 1 ranked and No. 1 national seeded softball team ranks No. 1 in the league with a score of 997.  ASU’s men’s basketball team posted a score of 961, which is No. 4 in the Pac-10. The top-10 ranked Sun Devil baseball team ranks No. 2 in the Pac-10 with a score of 981. Baseball’s score last year was 966, an improvement of 15 points.  

Of the four sports that started with a score of under 900 seven years ago, each is at 940 or over – football (940), wrestling (953), men’s basketball (961) and baseball (981).

For the third year in a row all 21 of Arizona State University’s athletic teams have exceeded minimum Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores for the NCAA’s most recent four-year reporting period. In fact, the average score for all of ASU’s 21 athletic teams is 976, well above the 925 cut-off point to avoid NCAA penalties and/or loss of scholarships.

In fact, since the APR measurement began in 2003-04, ASU’s overall program number has increased from 937 to 976 (2009-10).

“Once again, ASU’s APR scores represent the finest overall numbers we have had since the APR rating was instituted by the NCAA in 2003-04,” says vice president for athletics Lisa Love. “This is a result of excellent work by our Office of Student-Athlete Development, led by Jean Boyd, and support from our faculty and coaching staffs.“

“The release of the Academic Progress Rate data and the elevation of performance ASU has experienced over the past four years are remarkable illustrations of the power of collaboration,” says Jean Boyd, associate athletic director for the Office of Student-Athlete Development. “Coaches, academic coaches, university staff and student-athletes have worked together to raise APR scores to the upper tier of the Pacific-10 Conference.”  

Some ASU APR highlights:

• ASU tied for fourth in the Pac-10 with two teams recognized as being in the top 10 percent of their sport (women’s tennis, 1,000 and softball, 997).

• Football improved from a score of 905 five years ago to a 940 for 2009-10.

• Men’s basketball improved dramatically under head coach Herb Sendek, from a first-year score of 843 to this year’s score of 961.

• Baseball has achieved a 128-point improvement, from a score of 853 in 2003-04 to a score of 981 in 2009-10.

• Three sports – women’s tennis (1,000), softball (997) and women’s swimming (991) – have the top score in the Pacific-10 Conference.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation. It provides a clear picture of the current academic culture in each sport.

The APR awards points to student-athletes who meet academic eligibility standards (such as satisfactory progress, GPA and percentage of degree) and who remain with the institution (retention). 925 is the cut score that the NCAA Board of Directors approved for existing and current penalties, as well as historical penalties.

“The primary goal of APR is to improve academic performance of athletic teams, provide academic accountability of student-athletes and ultimately increase graduation rates,” says Love.

ASU’s women’s multi-year scores are: tennis, 1000; swimming, 991; volleyball, 985; golf, 991; soccer, 990; softball, 997; cross country, 984; indoor track and field, 982; outdoor track and field, 982; basketball, 971; gymnastics, 978; and water polo, 962.

ASU’s men’s multi-year scores are:  golf, 970; cross country, 987; basketball, 961; baseball, 981; swimming, 971; wrestling, 953; football, 940; indoor track and field, 958; and outdoor track and field, 953.