University of Massachusets Athletics
Four UMass Teams Earn APR Awards From NCAA
May 20, 2015 | Women's Cross Country
AMHERST, Mass. - Four University of Massachusetts athletic programs have been honored with NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Public Recognition Awards, the organization announced on Wednesday. UMass men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's cross country and softball all earned the distinction.
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason, and they also can face penalties for continued low academic performance.
To be recognized, a squad must rank in the top 10 percent within its sport nationally according to overall team academic performance during a four-year period, ending with 2013-14. Each year, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team through the annual scorecard of academic achievement. The rate measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester.
Overall, 1,124 teams received the APR award, including 696 women's and 428 men's or mixed squads. Full APR data on all NCAA Division I programs will be released on Wednesday, May 27.