NCAA Honors High Academic Achievement in Division I
April 27, 2007 | Volleyball
April 27, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Four Conference USA institutions and 15 athletic squads were recognized by the NCAA for their latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports.
East Carolina had two teams that earned this distinction as women's tennis and volleyball were acknowledged for their academic performance. The SMU women's golf team and Memphis women's basketball squad were also recognized. Rice and Memphis women's basketball teams were among the 33 total squads that made the grade this year.
Rice University had the most teams recognized among Conference USA, with 11 of its 16 squads receiving the award. The Owl football team was one of just 26 Division I teams to be honored and one of only five teams competing in Division I-A football. Other Rice men's sports recognized were the golf, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and field squads. Women's basketball, women's cross country, women's soccer, women's swimming and women's indoor and outdoor track and field were also recognized.
"The academic success of our student-athletes is often overlooked based on their high level of performance on the playing field," C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "In our Conference, it is a major priority and we congratulate these teams on their continued academic performance."
The public recognition awards are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 975 to a perfect 1,000. There are fewer awards this year nationally than last year because there are fewer teams with perfect scores. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on how many achieved perfect 1,000 APR scores.
For more information, or to view the public recognition awards by sport and institution, please log on to the NCAA website at ncaa.org.
