University of Massachusets Athletics
Massachusetts Athletics Posts 987 Average APR Score Across All Sports
June 04, 2024 | Cross Country, Field Hockey, Track and Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field, Athletics Department, Academic Success
Field hockey, women’s cross country and women’s track and field programs posting perfect 1,000 scores
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts athletics had another strong showing in the NCAA's latest Academic Progress Ratings release, with the field hockey, women's cross country and women's track and field programs posting perfect 1,000 scores and the Minutemen and Minutewomen combining for a 987 average across all sports.  Â
It marked the first 1,000 for the field hockey program, following a 996 in the previous release. It was the 13th score of 1,000 for the women's cross country program and the 11th in a row dating back to the 2011-12 release. It was also the fourth 1,000 rating for the women's track and field program. Â
All told, 15 programs reached at least 985 in Tuesday's release, with the additions of baseball (985), men's cross country (993), ice hockey (989), men's lacrosse (988), men's swimming and diving (994), men's track (994), softball (997), women's lacrosse (995), rowing (990), women's soccer (993), women's swimming and diving (997), women's tennis (991)Â
About the APR (from the NCAA) Â
Implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.Â
Each academic year, every Division I sports team's APR is calculated using a simple and consistent formula. Scholarship student-athletes can earn 1 point for staying on course for a degree in their chosen major and 1 point for being retained (or graduating) at the end of each academic term. For schools that do not offer athletics scholarships, recruited student athletes are tracked.  Â
This is the third consecutive year of publicly reported APRs after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Division I board approved the release of APR scores but voted to continue the suspension of program penalties. After further review, the Committee on Academics is not enforcing the loss of access to postseason competition for teams that have scored lower than 930. Instead, a conditional waiver is being offered this year due to lingering impacts of COVID-19.  Â