Razorbacks Besting APR Benchmark

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas exceeds the benchmark Academic Progress Rate (APR) multi-year rate of 925 in 18 of its 19 intercollegiate sport programs for the fourth-consecutive year. The 18 sport programs each exceeded the benchmark by more than 10 points including a perfect 1,000 by gymnastics and men’s tennis.

Arkansas also posted new bests in multi-year and single-year APR program averages. The average multi-year rate for Arkansas’ 19 sports in 2010-11 was 970.3, the highest in program history since APR began in 2003-04. The single-year average of 978.5 also marked a program best.

Fifteen Razorback teams improved or maintained their APR since the previous report in 2011 including six sports that increased their multi-year APR rate by nine points or more.

In addition, 18 of 19 Razorback sport programs recorded a single-year rate exceeding the benchmark for the 2010-11 reporting period. Six programs recorded a perfect single-year rate of 1,000 including men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s golf, gymnastics, women’s tennis and volleyball.

The APR is based on academic eligibility and retention of student-athletes in each athletic program. This report’s multi-year scores are based on the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years. The APR is in the process of transitioning to a 930 benchmark during the course of the next three years. Eighteen of the 19 Razorback programs already exceed the new targeted benchmark.

“I am proud of the continued academic progress we are making in exceeding APR benchmarks and setting record multi-year and single-year rates for our program,” said Jeff Long, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “The vast majority of our programs are already exceeding both the current and the future benchmark target scores. We will work toward further improvement and continue to focus our efforts on helping Razorback student-athletes on the path to graduation. I appreciate the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and staff in helping us accomplish our goal of developing student-athletes to their fullest potential through intercollegiate athletics.”

The Razorbacks have 17 programs with a multi-year rate of 949 or above, including gymnastics and men’s tennis, which were recognized with an NCAA Public Recognition Award last week for finishing in the top 10 percent of their respective sports in multi-year APR rate. Other top scoring programs included swimming and diving at 997, men’s golf at 994, women’s golf at 993 and women’s cross country at 986.

Women’s tennis made the largest multi-year improvement moving up 35 points in the latest report. Men’s golf improved its rate by 26 points, while men’s tennis and volleyball each made improvements of 16 points. Other teams that improved their multi-year rate include baseball, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s indoor track and field, swimming, women’s indoor track and field and women’s outdoor track and field.

Men’s basketball multi-year rate of 894 is below the 925 benchmark. Programs with multi-year rates below the benchmark are subject to penalties, including ineligibility for post-season competition. The University of Arkansas was not assigned penalties by the NCAA due to the team’s demonstrated academic improvement. This year’s rates marked the third-consecutive year of improvement for the men’s basketball program in both multi- and single-year APR rates. The program is still recovering from a debilitating single year rate of 755 in 2007-08. This is the final year that will include the 2007-08 rate in the multi-year rate calculations. With the program’s significant progress since, the multi-year rate announced for 2011-12 should be significantly improved.

“As we acknowledged a few years ago, it was going to take a number of years to see the statistical effect of the significant progress we have made academically in our men’s basketball program,” Long said. “Thanks to the hard work of our basketball student-athletes, coaches, Jon Fagg, Eric Wood and our academic staff, our men’s basketball student-athletes are making progress toward their diplomas. The NCAA has taken notice of our commitment to sustained academic improvement and has decided to reward our program’s progress by not assigning penalties. Under the leadership of Coach Mike Anderson and his staff, I am confident we will continue to make measurable progress both academically and athletically.”

“We are pleased that the NCAA has recognized our commitment to academic improvement in the men’s basketball program,” said Mike Anderson, the men’s basketball coach. “Working alongside our administration and academic staff, we have developed an academic approach that challenges our student-athletes to make consistent improvement and advance toward a degree. Our goal will continue to be for all of our student-athletes to earn their diploma while competing successfully on the court in the Southeastern Conference and nationally.”

For more information regarding Razorback Athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.