Razorbacks Earn Record APR

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Arkansas exceeds the benchmark Academic Progress Rate (APR) multiyear rate of 930 in all 19 of its intercollegiate sport programs. All programs eclipsed the benchmark by at least 13 points with 17 besting the 930 benchmark by 24 points or more

Arkansas’ sport programs averaged a record rate of 977.8, marking the sixth straight year the program average has exceeded 970. The previous program best APR average was 974.7 in 2011-12. The average is based on the 17 APR scores released for the University of Arkansas. The NCAA combines APR scores for indoor and outdoor track and field.

Last week, the Razorback women’s golf program earned a NCAA Public Recognition Award for ranking among the top 10 percent of women’s golf teams nationally. The program scored a perfect 1,000 multiyear rate. It was the eighth NCAA Public Recognition Award earned by women’s golf. The University of Arkansas has now earned a total of 13 public recognition awards in the past five years. Other top scoring programs include women’s swimming and diving (996), women’s gymnastics (995), women’s volleyball (995), women’s basketball (994) and men’s tennis (988).

“The latest APR report is just another indication that Razorback student-athletes continue to raise the bar academically on their way to graduation,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “Once again, all 19 of our sport programs exceed the APR benchmark with many of them doing so by more than 30 points. Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball have made significant progress in recent years and that progress has helped us record the best APR average, collectively, since APR was originated.

“Continued investments in the academic progress of Razorback student-athletes, including the construction of the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center and the personal attention invested by coaches and members of our Student-Athlete Success staff, has enabled us to achieve record results. We are proud of the progress we have made, but we have more to do as we work each and every day to develop our student-athletes to their fullest potential through intercollegiate athletics.”

Football made a 14-point gain in its multiyear APR for the second straight year to earn a 966 in the most current listing. It is the highest multiyear rate recorded by the football program since APR was implemented and eclipsed the previous record (952) set in 2014-15. Earlier this year, football led all SEC schools with 39 members on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Arkansas also led the league in overall fall academic honor roll selections (91) in SEC sponsored sports.

In addition to football, women’s basketball (+26) women’s tennis (+19), baseball (+10), women’s cross country (+10) and women’s track and field (+10) also saw double-digit point improvements in APR multiyear rates. Women’s basketball posted its third consecutive perfect 1,000 single-year rate, for the first time in program history.

Men’s basketball exceeded the benchmark for the fifth consecutive year and posted its second-best multiyear rate ever (960). In the past seven years, the men’s basketball multiyear rate has improved 74 points.

In 2016-17, a total of 100 Razorback student-athletes graduated in the fall or are on target to participate in commencement ceremonies this spring. Razorbacks Athletics has averaged 100 graduates per year in each of the past four years.

The APR is based on academic eligibility and retention of student-athletes in each athletic program. This report’s multiyear scores are based on the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.

University of Arkansas APR Superlatives

• Fifth consecutive year that all 19 sport programs exceeded benchmark of 930
• All programs exceed benchmark by at least 13 points (943) with 17 programs (including both indoor/outdoor track) exceeding the benchmark by 24 points (954) or more.
• Set program record with program multi-year average of 977.8
• Sixth-consecutive year the program multiyear average exceeded 970
• Women’s golf earned an NCAA Public Recognition Award for ranking in top 10 percent of women’s golf programs nationally. The team posted a perfect 1,000 multiyear APR rate.
• Arkansas has now earned a total of 13 Public Recognition Awards during the past five years.
• Razorback Athletics posted a single-year average rate of 985.6 for all 19 programs.
• Ten programs recorded a perfect 1,000 single-year APR rate (men’s basketball, men’s golf, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming and diving, women’s tennis and volleyball).
• Men’s basketball has improved its APR 74 points in the past seven years.
• Total of 100 Razorback student-athletes have graduated or on target to participate in commencement ceremonies in 2016-17.
• The University of Arkansas led all league schools in SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll selections within officially sanctioned conference sports.