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BLACKSBURG – The NCAA released the data from its Academic Progress Rate (APR) program on Wednesday, and the Virginia Tech football program had a multi-year score of 977, tying for its best multi-year score ever since the NCAA started using this metric to assess academic performances for each school in each sport.

The APR is a scorecard that tracks classroom performance of Division I sports teams, and it takes into account eligibility and retention of student-athletes over a four-year period. It measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason, and programs also can face penalties for continued low academic performance. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on annual scores from the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years.

The Tech golf and women’s soccer programs recorded APRs that ranked tied first in the ACC in their respective sports. Both were recipients of the NCAA’s Public Recognition Award, which was announced last week and goes to programs with a multi-year APR in the top 10 percent nationally of all squads in each sport. The Tech golf program has scored 1,000 for six straight years, while the women’s soccer program finished with a multi-year score of 997 and received the Public Recognition Award for the second straight year.

The Tech football program also recorded a multi-year score of 977 last year, which had marked the fourth straight increase. The program had recorded multi-year scores of 940 in 2008-09, 955 in 2009-10, 968 in 2010-11, and 970 in 2011-12.

The football program’s multi-year APR ranked tied for fifth in the ACC. Duke led the way with a 992 score, followed by Clemson (984), BC (980) and Georgia Tech (978). The Hokies and Louisville were tied at 977.

Six Tech programs increased multi-year scores from a year ago – men’s cross country (994), softball (983), women’s cross country (972), lacrosse (969), women’s tennis (993) and women’s outdoor track (949). The Tech volleyball program’s 984 equaled last year’s multi-year score.

In addition to football, Tech’s sports of wrestling and women’s tennis ranked in the top five of the ACC. The wrestling program recorded a multi-year score of 962, while women’s tennis was at 994. Both ranked fourth in the ACC for those sports.

Five Tech sports finished with perfect 1,000 scores for the 2013-14 academic year only, which bodes well for future APR scoring. Those sports included women’s soccer, women’s cross country, men’s cross country, women’s tennis and lacrosse.

In all, 13 Tech programs recorded a better score for the 2013-14 academic year than their multi-year APR score, which, again, bodes well for future APR scoring. In addition to the five mentioned above, the sports included baseball (988), women’s indoor track (988), women’s outdoor track (989), men’s indoor track (986), women’s swimming and diving (992), women’s basketball (979), wrestling (974) and softball (984).

For more information on the APR, please check the NCAA website at www.ncaa.org.

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