June 11, 2013
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The NCAA has released its annual Academic Progress Rates (APR) for member schools, and once again, the University of Missouri stands out among the very best. A review of the numbers for all Southeastern Conference schools shows that Mizzou leads the league in APR rate in four different sports, a figure which is tied for second-best in the league.
The Mizzou football (982), men's swimming and diving (993), women's swimming and diving (1,000), and gymnastics (1,000) squads all posted SEC-best APR rates, while six other Tiger sports finished second in the league, giving MU 10 of its 19 conference-sponsored sport programs which finished either first or second. Additionally, 19 of MU's 20 sports finished ahead of the All-Division I APR average in each sport.
Here are the SEC rankings of schools with the most APR leaders in their respective sports:
1. Vanderbilt (8) 2. Mizzou (4) 2. Ole Miss (4) 2. Alabama (4) 2. Arkansas (4) 6. Florida (3) 6. Georgia (3) 8. Auburn (2) 8. Kentucky (2) 8. Tennessee (2) 11. LSU (1)Additionally, when comparing the average APR score of the 19 SEC sports in which MU competes, Mizzou also comes in with a strong second-place showing. Here are the results of that measurement:
Average APR ranking in 19 SEC sports in which Mizzou participates:
1. Vanderbilt (992.39) 2. Mizzou (989.37) 3. Alabama (983.58) 4. Georgia (983.42) 5. South Carolina (979.53) 6. Ole Miss (978.94) 7. Kentucky (977.95) 8. Florida (977.21) 9. Auburn (974.16) 10. Arkansas (973.33) 11. Tennessee (971.22) 12. Mississippi State (970.73) 13. LSU (967.63) 14. Texas A&M (964.50)Here is a complete listing of Mizzou's sport-by-sport measurements:
MIZZOU MEN'S SPORTS Team (SEC Rank) APR All Division I Average Baseball (3rd) 984 965 Basketball (6th) 979 952 Cross Country (2nd) 996 975 Football (1st) 982 949 Golf (7th) 993 974 Swimming & Diving (1st) 993 976 Track (Indoor) (2nd) 983 965 Track (Outdoor) (2nd) 983 968 **Wrestling (3rd) 968 961 (**-In Mid-American Conference)MIZZOU WOMEN'S SPORTS Team (SEC Rank) APR All Division I Average Basketball (4th) 987 967 Cross Country (9th) 989 983 Golf (6th) 994 986 Gymnastics (1st) 1000 989 Soccer (8th) 984 981 Softball (2nd) 994 978 Swimming & Diving (1st) 1000 986 Tennis (10th) 976 982 Track (Indoor) (2nd) 996 977 Track (Outdoor) (2nd) 996 978 Volleyball (6th) 989 980
APR Fact Sheet:
•The APR was developed by the NCAA in 2004 to measure the academic progress and performance of athletic programs at member institutions. The multi-year average for the latest Academic Progress Rate Report spans the last four years and institutions are awarded points when a student-athlete remains academically eligible for competition and when he or she either returns to the institution the following semester or graduates...
•A maximum of two points per student/per semester is awarded...
•A "perfect" APR team score is 1,000...
•The NCAA does not penalize an institution for student-athletes who remain academically eligible but did not return to the institution due to circumstances beyond the student and/or institution's control. Examples of this include student-athletes who leave to pursue professional athletics, suffer from incapacitating physical or mental illness, or experience extreme financial difficulties as the result of a specific event such as a death in the family...
•Complete information on the APR Report can be found on the NCAA's website, www.ncaa.org.