Annual APR Report Scores Maintain Excellence

BOULDER — The University of Colorado Academic Progress Rate (APR) report based on information for the four-year period from 2014-15 through 2017-18 released Wednesday by the NCAA, along with those of all other Division I schools, shows that CU once again has positive news for its intercollegiate athletic programs in that time frame.

The four-year APR average of CU athletic programs – 985 out of a possible 1000 – increased by a single point from last year's report and was just one shy of the school's best mark of 986 set two years ago, the highest score since the NCAA's Academic Performance Program was introduced in 2003. The team average for the latest report came in at 976.

Here are the significant accomplishments that CU student-athletes recorded in the latest NCAA report:

Of CU's 15 programs (the NCAA combines indoor and outdoor track), for the second straight year 11 have averages that exceeded the multiyear national average for their sport;
The women's golf team earned its sixth straight perfect single-year score of 1000, and for the third straight year, won the NCAA's Public Recognition Award by landing in the top 10 percent of its sport. This year, it was joined by women's skiing in earning the accolade, well-deserved on the heels of a fourth straight perfect single-year tally;
Seven teams in all scored a perfect 1000 in their 2017-18 annual APR. In addition to the women's golf and women's skiing teams earning consecutive perfect annual scores for the sixth and fourth years in a row, respectively, they were joined by the women's cross country and women's lacrosse teams scoring 1000 for the third straight year, women's tennis for the second straight year, with men's golf and women's track and field attaining the perfect 1000 plateau in this latest report;
Thus, six of CU's nine women's programs achieved perfect 1000 scores in this report; and in addition to the above seven programs remaining perfect in the year-on-year average or increasing it to 1000, the men's basketball team also improved its single-year APR (by one point, 961 to 962);
Overall, 14 squads achieved multiyear scores over 970, including seven of 990 or higher, nine above 985 and all 965 or better (to compete in the 2019-20 postseason, teams must achieve a minimum four-year APR score of 930; that number was selected as the standard as it predicts, on average, a 50 percent graduation rate. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties);
Six programs increased their multiyear APR figures, with women's ski team gaining the most in jumping 14 points from 986 to 1000, followed by the men's golf team, which improved 13 points (959 to 972). Women's tennis (8 points), women's track and field (5), women's cross country (4) and men's basketball (1) also upped their average, while women's lacrosse held even.
In the two sports most scrutinized, football and men's basketball, both CU squads compare well to their peers. Football's multiyear APR of 965 exceeds the national average for Division I schools for the sixth straight year (the national number this time was 964). At a 971 multiyear APR, men's basketball exceeds the Division I national average by four points; it is the eighth straight year Tad Boyle's Buffaloes have exceeded the national figure (967 in this report).

"Far out of the public's view, our student-athletes pursue academic excellence as relentlessly as they strive for championships," said Dr. Joe Jupille, now finishing his second year as CU''s faculty representative to the Pac-12 Conference. "The high APR scores for the four-year period starting in 2014-15 and for the single 2017-18 year speak first and foremost to the students' hard work and dedication. Of course, even further behind the scenes stands a group of world-class professionals working hard every day to establish high academic standards and providing the support students need to reach them."

"We are once again proud to have an excellent APR report, as it defines the hard work of so many, beginning with our student-athletes and their commitment to academics," CU athletic director Rick George said. "Our coaches and academic staff members continue to wholly support our mission laid out in our strategic plan, the bottom line of which is creating the proper culture and atmosphere for them to succeed. The support and dedication provided by our staff in the Herbst Academic Center never waivers – their leadership and counseling is tantamount to efforts by our student-athletes and the end results have been spectacular as evidenced by the first time our overall GPA has exceeded the 3.0 mark."

Next year, beginning with the data collected for the 2018-19 reporting period, these APR scores (or Graduate Success Rate or Federal Graduation Rate) metrics can earn additional revenue for the athletic departments nation-wide. CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano was on the committee that created the concept of new academic money, or "Values-Based Revenue Distribution" (VBRD), designed to reward institutions for their accomplishments in the classroom.

Funds for the VBRD will come out of the revenue for the men's Division I basketball championship, and will be awarded based on any of three achievements: single-year team average APR of 985, a Graduate Success Rate (GSR) of 90 percent or higher or a Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) for student-athletes 13 percent or higher than the general student body.

The reporting covered all 17 of CU's intercollegiate sport programs (team-by-team statistical data; once again, indoor and outdoor track teams are combined; team GPA is cumulative value as of the Fall 2018 semester. The cumulative GPA of all 353 student-athletes was 2.981, just shy of the university average of 3.01 (?—six programs saw their cumulative numbers improve over the previous year; the other six dipped only slightly, all .050 or less):

Program	2017-18 APR	Four-Year APR 2014-15 - '17-18	Team GPA
Men's Basketball	962	971	2.632
Men's Cross Country	923	974	2.910
Football	953	965	2.641
Men's Golf	1000	972	3.173
Men's Skiing	969	986	3.287
Men's Track & Field	959	982	2.888
Women's Basketball	964	985	2.865
Women's Cross Country	1000	996	3.376
Women's Golf	1000	1000	3.249
Women's Lacrosse	1000	996	3.369
Women's Skiing	1000	1000	3.434
Women's Soccer	990	990	3.229
Women's Tennis	1000	992	3.174
Women's Track & Field	1000	990	3.399
Women's Volleyball	920	974	2.957

Colorado University Athletics

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