CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the second-consecutive season five University of Miami teams were publically honored for being among the top 10 percent in Academic Progress Rates (APR), the NCAA announced Wednesday.
“Our APR success continues to demonstrate the academic excellence of our entire athletic department at the University of Miami,” said Miami Athletics Director Blake James. “The hard work of our students outside the field of competition never goes unnoticed and I could not be more proud of their efforts.”
The men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s swimming and diving, women’s golf and women’s swimming and diving teams earned APR Public Recognition Awards. It marks the third straight year that the men’s basketball team received an APR Public Recognition Award.
“While I am proud of all of our teams, I would like to specifically recognize our men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s swimming and diving, women’s golf and women’s swimming and diving teams for earning 2015 APR Public Recognition Awards for achieving national excellence with a top 10 percentile score,” James added. “I would also like to thank the coaching and academic staffs for their tireless efforts to push our student-athletes to be the very best in the classroom, community, competition and in life.”
Miami’s five APR awards are tied for the most in program history. The Hurricanes won five in 2014 and 2012. In addition, the Hurricanes have won at least three in each of the last five years.
Miami has received 35 public APR awards in 11 sports since the program was instituted 10 years ago – baseball (2011, 2012) women’s golf (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015), indoor men’s track & field (2009), outdoor men’s track & field (2006, 2008, 2009), men’s cross country (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015), women’s cross country (2012, 2013, 2014), women’s swimming (2014, 2015), men’s diving (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015), football (2010, 2011, 2012), men’s tennis (2011) and men’s basketball (2013, 2014, 2015).
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. This year’s release will again includes recognition in the sport of football by subdivision (i.e., Football Bowl Subdivision and NCAA Football Championship Subdivision).
The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance.
Multiyear APRs for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition, will be announced May 27. That announcement also will include APR penalties for low-performing teams, teams subject to postseason ineligibility and head coach APRs.
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