After facing years of setbacks related to the NCAA’s perplexing Academic Progress Rate that led to HBCU athletic teams being penalized with infractions and postseason bans, the latest results have indicated a significant uprising in the classroom.
On Thursday the NCAA APR report showed that HBCU schools had climbed 34 points since 2013.
“We’ve seen a remarkable evolutionary shift in Division I over the last 14 years,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “Administrators, coaches and students all make academic achievement and graduation top focus areas. The APR is a powerful metric that leads ultimately to more graduates and more student-athletes with better opportunities after college.”
Examining the data, the most encouraging improvements were seen at Southern University, where all of its programs — for the first time ever — are eligible to participate in postseason play after teams reached the 930 benchmark following the APR calculations.
“It is definitely an exciting time,” SU Athletic Director Roman Banks said. “This is the first time since I have been here that all of our teams have met the APR benchmark. Like any athletic success story, the ongoing positive APR reports are the result of a team effort, starting with our student services staff and the coaches who recruit quality student-athletes and emphasize that academics will be a priority at Southern University.”
To compete in the 2018-19 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 four-year APR. NCAA members chose the 930 standard because that score predicts, on average, a 50 percent graduation rate for teams at that APR level. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties.
Only four schools — Alabama A&M, Mississippi Valley State, Morgan State and Grambling State — will have at least one team ruled ineligible for the postseason.
AAMU will be ineligible for postseason play in men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s track and field, and women’s cross country. Grambling in softball, Mississippi Valley in baseball and Morgan State in football.
Kendrick, I am still mad at you because of the way you disrespected Tennessee State University when you named the best sports programs in HBCUs. TSU has the Best Programs by far. Second to no way, Pro and Olympic. Why don’t you publish an article on the best HBCU of all time in all sports together. How dare you leave TSU out of the TOP. I love my people however, this age of call in balloting has hurt HBCUs, when we use this method to pick our best. To be the best band for example, all a school needs to do is to have their students to keep texting or calling in. Southern, Grambling, Jackson, FAMU and yes TSU has a great history and a proven tract record, to be ignored by tweets,. Major White Colleges do not forget their greats. They attend their Music Concerts no matter how old the Artist. For example The Rolling Stones always sellout. An old Black Artist would have ten people show up. You are doing the same thing. Look at what Grambling and TSU has done for the NFL. Yet you name other schools with hardly and history. Think about this. Please respond or I will seek others who would love this story .
Kendrick, I sent you a duplicate comment because you are afraid to respond, Remember you remain great when people like me keep you in power
Get over it and find somewhere else to channel all that energy.
This is great news. I hope AAMU gets it together soon.