Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Student-Athletes Continue Tremendous Academic Success
June 11, 2013 | General
Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University Athletics Department continues to thrive academically in the Academic Progress Rate (APR), as released by the NCAA today.
All of the Falcons' 18 sports have multi-year APR rates of 940 or above and 11 posted a perfect 1000 single-year rate in the latest report for the 2011-12 year. As well, 11 teams posted their best multi-year score since the APR began in 2004-05. All 18 of BGSU's teams were comfortably above the NCAA's minimum score of 900 to receive scholarship limitations or postseason bans. The women's tennis, women's golf and swimming programs at Bowling Green have the highest APR scores in the Mid-American Conference for their respective sports.
"The data released today continues to represent the hard work of our student-athletes in the classroom," Mark Shook, BGSU's Interim Athletics Director, said. "These results annually represent the total team effort involved in supporting our student-athletes who are committed to their academic pursuits to our coaches who recruit them with that expectation to our support staffs who help them balance both their academic and athletic pursuits."
BGSU had a school-record 11 teams post a perfect single-year rate (up from seven each of the past two years). The men's basketball, men's cross country, hockey, women's golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball programs all posted a 1,000 for the 2011-12 year. For volleyball, it marks the second consecutive perfect single-year rate and for men's cross country, it is the third consecutive perfect score. Women's golf and swimming have both earned four consecutive perfect single-year scores and tennis has hit that mark eight straight years.
From a multi-year perspective, all 18 teams scored a 940 or better. The tennis program continues to have a perfect 1000, the same score it has received every year of the APR, and women's golf also scored a 1000. Swimming (996), volleyball (995) and women's soccer (990) were all at 990 or better, while softball (988), men's cross country (986), gymnastics (984) and baseball (983) posted strong scores also.
In all, 16 of BGSU's 18 sports posted scores equal to or better than a year ago. The largest increases came from the men's cross country program (improving from 963 to 986), men's basketball (climbing from 922 to 944) and men's golf (up from 948 to 969). Football (improving 12 points to 963) and gymnastics (up 10 points to 984) also made strong increases. For men's cross country, it marks the second consecutive year the program had the largest increase in the department, improving from a 935 two years ago. Football increased its score by double-digits for the third straight year and is one of two programs, along with baseball, to showed improvement for four consecutive years.
The baseball, football, men's basketball, men's cross country, softball, women's golf, women's soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field programs all posted their best multi-year rates ever. The BGSU tennis and women's golf programs were awarded public recognition a week ago for ranking among the top 10 percent of all Division I programs in their respective sport.
APR scores are based on retention and eligibility of each scholarship student-athlete. Each student-athlete can earn four points per year – one point for first-semester eligibility, one point for first-semester retention, one point for second-semester eligibility, and one point for second-semester retention. The total points earned are then divided by total points possible and the decimal place is dropped for the APR score.
The APR is a real-time measure of eligibility, retention and graduation of student-athletes competing on every NCAA Division I athletics team. The most recent scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years. The goal of academic reform is improvement, not punishment. Not only does academic reform ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but it also provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school.
BGSU MULTI-YEAR APR SCORES
Baseball – 983
Men's Basketball – 944
Men's Cross Country – 986
Football – 963
Men's Golf – 969
Ice Hockey – 968
Men's Soccer – 955
Women's Basketball – 975
Women's Cross Country – 975
Women's Golf – 1000
Gymnastics – 984
Softball – 988
Women's Soccer – 990
Swimming – 996
Women's Tennis – 1000
Indoor Track and Field – 967
Outdoor Track and Field – 969
Volleyball – 995
