NEWS

Now this is something to cheer about

DAVIDSON, N.C. – For the second consecutive year, Davidson had seven programs earn Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) Public Recognition Awards, the NCAA announced Tuesday

The APR measures academic achievement for all Division I programs, and the awards are based on APRs from the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years.

Four Wildcat men’s teams were recognized, including:

• Basketball,
• Golf,
• Swimming and Diving
• Tennis.

The three women’s teams honored were:

• Basketball,
• Swimming and Diving
• Tennis

The NCAA’s minimum APR academic standard for each team is 930. Typically, teams that scored below the benchmark would have to face penalties that encourage an emphasis and prioritization on academics. However, due to the current penalty suspension (as a result of sports seasons being canceled during the pandemic) in place, teams falling below the minimum 930 score will not be subjected to penalties this year.

Normal Academic Performance Program operations with program penalties and loss of access to postseason competition will resume in spring 2024. This will also include the public recognition of high-performing teams.

Implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.

The APR provides a real-time look at a program’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.

This is the second year of publicly reported APRs after a one-year COVID-19 hiatus. Last spring, the Division I Board of Directors approved the release of APR scores but voted to continue the suspension of program penalties.