DENTON, Texas - University of North Texas athletics teams continue to perform well in the classroom, according to the latest Academic Progress Report (APR) that was released by the NCAA this week.
The men's cross country team had its second consecutive perfect multi-year score of 1,000. Three other teams had a multi-year score above 990, with men's golf, women's tennis and women's swimming and diving all recording a 992. The men's golf program had a perfect 1,000 single-year score for the 2010-11 season.
"We continue to emphasize to student-athletes that academics come first in our mission for success," Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal said. "This current APR report validates our commitment, with all of our teams exceeding the 930 mark that will soon be required for postseason participation under new NCAA proposals. We can, and will work to improve these scores through continued enhancement of our academic processes in an effort to reach our ultimate goal of graduating every student-athlete at North Texas."
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors last fall approved tougher academic standards, 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.
For the second year in a row, the Mean Green football program posted its best-ever multi-year score with a 938. Since the inception of the APR in 2004, the North Texas football program has improved its score from 907 to the current 938, making improvement in each of the last four years.
The APR is the NCAA's measurement of academic success that aims to give a real-time snapshot of athlete retention and advancement over a four-year period. The NCAA mandates a score of 925 as acceptable for each sport.
