Five Programs Receive APR Public Recognition

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Five University of Miami teams were publically honored for being among the top 10 percent in Academic Progress Rates (APR), the NCAA announced Wednesday.

Men’s basketball, men’s diving, women’s swimming, and men’s and women’s cross country were recognized with APR Public Recognition Awards. It marks the third straight year that women’s cross country received an APR Public Recognition Award and the second straight for men’s basketball. It was the first honor for women’s swimming.

Miami’s five APR awards are tied for the most in program history. The Hurricanes won five in 2012 and have won at least three in each of the last four years.

Miami has received 30 public APR awards in 11 sports since the program was instituted nine years ago – women’s golf (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013), indoor men’s track & field (2009), outdoor men’s track & field (2006, 2008, 2009), men’s cross country (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014), women’s cross country (2012, 2013, 2014),  women’s swimming (2014), men’s diving (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014), football (2010, 2011, 2012), men’s tennis (2011) and men’s basketball (2013, 2014).

“Our Hurricanes student-athletes consistently demonstrate their ability to achieve excellence in the classroom and in athletics,” said David Wyman, Associate AD for Academic Services. “This recognition is not only a tribute to them, but to the faculty of the University of Miami that valiantly serves to inspire and educate our students. We are all tremendously proud of this accomplishment.”

The Academic Progress Rate, a multi-year rate based on the most recent four years of data, is a real-time measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. The most recent APR scores are based on scores from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years. This year marks the 10th year of APR data for most teams.

In the fall of 2011, the Division I Board of Directors approved tougher academic standards, including setting a new standard that teams must meet to participate in postseason competition. The goal of the NCAA’s academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but also it provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school. Under the revised penalty structure, the Division I Board of Directors has set a cut score of 930 (out of 1,000) as a threshold for teams to meet or face possible sanctions. As was also the case a year ago, no sports from any ACC institutions are subject to penalties from this year’s APR release.

Among its 2013-14 membership, the ACC’s 15 current schools had 77 combined teams recognized, the most from any Power 5 conference. The ACC was one of only two of the Power 5 conferences to see all of its 2012-13 schools have at least one team recognized.

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