UGA Tops SEC in APR

Mark Richt discusses Georgia's APR at last night's Bulldog Club meeting in Macon...



Here's the news release from UGA Athletics...

The University of Georgia football and women's basketball scores in the annual NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) released Wednesday were both tops in the SEC. The Bulldog football team's 976 APR score tied with Penn State for the best score among all of the nation's top 25 teams as ranked in the final polls.

The Academic Progress Rate, now in its fifth year, measures the eligibility, retention and graduation of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. It also serves as a predictor of graduation success. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years.

The UGA men's basketball team ranked fourth best in the SEC.

NCAA sports falling below the established point cutoff of 925 are subject to penalties including scholarship reductions. UGA will not incur any penalties as all 20 NCAA Bulldog sports were above the cutoff score.

While all Georgia sports were above the established cutoff, 12 actually increased their scores over last year—baseball, football, men's golf, men's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's basketball, women's cross country, gymnastics, soccer, women's tennis, and women's indoor and outdoor track and field.

Georgia's football APR of 976 was best in the SEC – seven points ahead of second place Vanderbilt (969). The Lady Bulldog basketball team scored 986, also seven points ahead of Vanderbilt's 979.

"We're obviously pleased to once again be above the established cutoffs in all our sports," said UGA Director of Athletics Damon Evans. "I'm especially pleased with football and women's basketball being at the top of the SEC and the fact that the APR is one of the predictors of graduation rate success. But we also realize there is always room for improvement. We are committed to working hard every day to strengthen the academic performance and graduation of our student-athletes."

Note: The complete NCAA APR Report can be obtained at the following web address beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET: www.ncaa.org