Redbirds Meet NCAA Benchmarks in APR

INDIANAPOLIS – The Illinois State Athletics Department had 12 of its 17 sports post NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores that exceeded the national average in their respective sport as released by the NCAA Wednesday.

The announcement is the NCAA's latest report of APR for all Division I schools and includes single-year scores for 2015-16 and four-year multi-year scores from the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years. The APR tracks eligibility and retention of scholarship student-athletes each semester and annually provides a real-time picture of the performance of each team on these two measures.
  
Among Illinois State's 17 squads, eight teams earned perfect single-year APR scores (1000) for 2015-16 including men's cross country, men's golf, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's golf, gymnastics, softball and volleyball. As released last week, the men's golf, men's tennis and volleyball teams earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards for posting perfect APR scores of 1000 for their four-year rate.  

"So many of our student-athletes are committed to excellence in the classroom, and as this APR data confirms, they are also happy here with our marvelous institution and outstanding faculty, staff, coaches, advisors and support personnel who deeply care about them and motivate them to succeed," Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance Cindy Harris said. "The APR has as much to do with the student-athletes' eligibility/academic status as it does their choice to remain here to graduate and call Illinois State their alma mater. The APR is our annual "check-up."  We will study the data closely and determine where and how we can still improve our APR scores in the future."

Among the other highlights from the latest NCAA report were: 
•    The Redbird football team earned an APR score of 969, which was 12 points higher than the Division I average for FCS Football (953), and the APR of 969 was the highest in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. This is the third year in a row that the Redbirds topped the league in APR.  
•    The ISU volleyball team's perfect 1000 multi-year APR tied for the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference, with an incredible five other MVC institutions' volleyball teams also earning scores of 1000.  
•    All of Illinois State's teams achieved an APR score above the NCAA's 930 threshold to avoid penalties.    

NCAA President Mark Emmert applauded Division I student-athletes for their continued academic achievement and dedication to earning a degree. 

"I am so pleased that the Academic Progress Rates continues to rise, but I am more excited about what those numbers mean: Thousands of college athletes continue to make real progress toward earning their degrees," Emmert said. "A college degree, combined with the skills they learn while participating in sports, will provide countless opportunities for them later in life."

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