Tribe athletes recognized for strong academic work
A report issued by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday honored six William and Mary athletic squads as recipients of its Public Recognition Award.
To receive this recognition, which is based on the most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rate (2008-2012), the particular program must have posted an Academic Progress Report (APR) rating that finished within the top 10 percent of the national average for the sport.
The NCAA first released APR data in 2005, but did not start officially recognizing teams until the following year. In the eight years since, the College has had a total of 62 teams recognized for academic excellence.
The Tribe teams recognized are baseball, men’s basketball, field hockey, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse and men’s tennis. The Tribe’s total was the most among full-time members of the Colonial Athletic Association and the second most among Division I athletics departments in Virginia.
The Academic Progress Rate is a measurement of a program’s academic performance based on academic eligibility, retention, and graduation of student-athletes. A rate of 925, out of a highest possible score of 1000, equates to an approximate graduation rate of 60 percent and will be used as the threshold for future program evaluations.
The NCAA will release this year’s full Academic Progress Rate report on June 11.