America East Student-Athletes Continue to Excel Academically Based on APR Metrics - AmericaEast.com
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Thirty-one teams from America East Conference schools received NCAA APR Public Recognition Awards on June 6, while the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are ranked among the best in Division I according to the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released by the NCAA Tuesday afternoon. Overall, the conference’s APR continues to rank above the national average.
Every Division I program calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face sanctions, such as scholarship losses and restrictions on practice. Rates are based on the past four years’ performance. No America East team received penalties for low APRs. The NCAA also recognizes teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in each sport Public Recognition Awards each year.
The 31 programs receiving Public Recognition Awards matches last year’s mark for the conference’s second-highest total since the APR program started.
Boston University led America East schools with eight squads recognized, while University of Hartford had seven honored, University of New Hampshire received five awards, University of Maine had four programs cited, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont had three each and Binghamton University had one.
Of the 31 teams honored, Vermont’s and Hartford’s men’s basketball teams were both honored with Public Recognition Awards with the Catamounts earning a perfect 1,000-point score. Stony Brook’s men’s cross country squad was the lone team to win an America East Championship during the 2012-13 season and also receive an APR award. In total, 25 America East regular-season or tournament champions have been honored since 2006-07.
America East men’s basketball teams ranked second among the 31 Division I conferences with a 982 average, an all-time high for the sport and a 28-point leap from two years ago. In all, six of the league’s nine programs recorded perfect single-year APRs of 1,000 for 2011-12.
America East’s women’s basketball APR average is 983, the second-highest mark all-time for the sport, and ranks eighth in Division I.
Overall, America East’s average is 976, two points ahead of the national average of 974 and the 10th-highest score in the nation.
“We are pleased our student-athletes continue to perform exceptionally in the classroom and earn recognition for their impressive achievements,” America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said. “Academics will always be a core pillar of America East and to rank above the national average, second in men’s basketball and eighth in women’s basketball is a testament to our student-athletes and institutions for making a commitment to put academics first.”
The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.
The Division I Board of Directors approved tougher academic standards in the fall of 2011, including setting a new standard that teams must meet to compete in the postseason.
The standard for postseason access starts at 900 APR but over the next few years climbs to 930, which equates to a 50 percent Graduation Success Rate.
APR scores per institution, along with penalties per school and teams receiving public recognition, are available online through the NCAA’s searchable database.
About the America East Conference
Now in its fourth decade of operation, the America East Conference has evolved into one of the most comprehensive NCAA Division I conferences in the country with a commitment to broad-based, competitive athletics programs, complementing the academic integrity and missions of the member institutions. Progressive in its approach to its more than 3,400 student-athletes, America East recognizes champions in each of its 20 sports. America East also conducts the nation’s most comprehensive academic recognition program for student-athletes and collaborates on several community service initiatives throughout its geographic footprint each year. With members spanning from the Mid-Atlantic to Northeast regions of the United States, America East strives to develop champions in academics, athletics and leadership at its nine member institutions: University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, UMBC, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont.