In a summer that nearly turned college athletics on its head, one seemingly small story that could have a monumental impact on the underpinnings of collegiate athletics has flown under the radar. In an effort to increase accountability for both Student Athletes and their respective institutions, the NCAA committee has approved a new rule that will prohibit any collegiate athletic team with a four year Academic Progress Ratebelow 930 to compete in any post-season events. The implications? Schools are now being forced to get serious about fostering academic growth in their athletes or miss out on the sweet, sweet revenue that post-season play provides.
Had these new policies been in place during the previous academic year, UTSA would not have been able to compete in the NCAA Basketball tournament in 2010 (Women's Soccer and Volleyball would have been good, though). There's no beating around this bush: UTSA's APR needs to improve. Seven UTSA teams are currently below the 930 threshold (Baseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Outdoor Track, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Indoor Track, and Women's Outdoor Track), while Women's Basketball is just barely etching it out at 930.25. While UTSA has been steadily improving in terms of APR, it still has a ways to go before several programs are up to speed.
Most disturbing of all programs is Men's Basketball. In the 2005-2006 season the Roadrunners posted a measly 818, one of the worst numbers I could find in the NCAA database. This pathetic display of academic responsibility resulted in two dropped scholarships for UTSA as well as a decrease in allotted practice time.
UTSA Men's Basketball APR
As shown in the chart above, Brooks Thompson has done a decent job of increasing the program's APR since his hire in 2006, with a great growth rate since his own recruits have began to count towards the team's APR. With a 927 APR in 2010 and a four year average of 874.5, Thompson still has quite a bit of work to do before he can be satisfied with his team's academic performance. Hopefully these new bylaws will not take effect until 2013 or '14 which will allow Thompson some time to get his athletes in the right place without risking a wasted season.
Some Men's Basketball four year APRs of note:
UTA: 943
SJSU: 903.5
USU: 932.75
TXST: 893.75
Oddities
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