Aggies do. N.C. A&T earns top 5 HBCU NCAA APR ranking, SWAC scores leave reason for concern
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Better be careful with all of those transfers.
Current media darling, Jackson State University is chugging along with a respectable APR after an influx of transfers last year. This is a number to be monitored for the next couple of years.
The MEAC conference is looking good with all teams above the required APR, however, current MEAC and Celebration Bowl Champion, South Carolina State is just one point above being championship eligible. South Carolina State will surely look to improve that number with its increasing athletic exposure.
It's not all good though. SWAC schools Arkansas Pine Bluff, Prairie View and Mississippi Valley are just barely making the cut. The SWAC inherited more than just some MEAC teams in FAMU and Bethune-Cookman but also some MEAC issues.
SWAC members Bethune-Cookman, Alabama State, and Florida A&M are in gross violation of the threshold to compete in championships.
While FAMU was allowed to compete in the FCS playoffs last year, it's likely that had the NCAA not suspended punishments that FAMU would not have been able to participate.
Post Covid, it's quite obvious that FAMU, Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State are gonna have to step things up. Football isn't all recruitment, it's retention as well.
Teams must earn a four-year average APR of 930 to compete in championships. 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 in place, teams will not be subjected to penalties this year. Last year, APR data was not released publicly, and penalties were not assessed.