Tech athletics programs continue to excel in NCAA Academic Progress Rate program

Three programs receive perfect multi-year rates of 1,000, and 12 programs were above 990

May 23, 2018

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech’s athletics teams recorded strong academic numbers in the NCAA’s latest Academic Progress Rate report, as released by the NCAA on Wednesday afternoon.

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 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.

The Tech women’s golf, women’s tennis, women’s track and field teams recorded perfect multi-year APRs of 1,000 and ranked tied first in the ACC in their respective sports. The Tech baseball team recorded a multi-year APR of 995, which ranked third in the ACC.

All four programs 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. This year marked the second straight in which the women’s tennis program finished with an APR above 1,000 and received a Public Recognition Award.

In all, 12 Tech programs recorded a 990 multi-year score or better out of 1,000 – up from seven teams a year ago. The group included the four previously stated teams, plus women’s soccer (997), women’s cross country (995), men’s track and field (994), lacrosse (994), women’s swimming and diving (994), men’s cross country (993), softball (992), and men’s tennis (991).

The Tech softball program’s multi-year APR ranked tied for third among ACC schools, while the women’s soccer team was tied for fourth and the men’s track team was tied for fifth, though second among public institutions in the league. In addition, the wrestling program finished with a multi-year rate of 985 – a number that ranked second in the ACC.

Also, nine teams recorded a perfect 1,000 for the 2016-17 academic year – up from seven programs a year ago. This contingent includes baseball, men’s cross country, men’s tennis, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s track and field and volleyball.

The football program recorded a multi-year rate of 960. It marked the eighth straight year in which the program has been above 950.

The Tech men’s basketball program recorded a multi-year APR of 970, which marked an increase for the fifth straight year and was three points above the national average.

The Tech women’s basketball program recorded a multi-year rate of 930, though hadn’t been under 960 before last year. The program historically has fared well in the APR report, and Virginia Tech and the athletics department have committed various measures of support and resources to promote future academic success.

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