APR: A Problem for the Tide...

[DKW 86 6,939]

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BTW, Finebaum reported that would have lost 40 Schollies over the last 5 years.

UA football could lose scholarships

NCAA academics report warns of up to nine losses for Crimson Tide’s 2006 season

By Cecil Hurt

Sports Editor

February 19, 2005

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama football program’s Academic Progress Rate score fell short of the NCAA’s required “cut score" for the 2003-04 academic year, raising the possibility of scholarship reductions if the Tide’s two-year score, including data from the current academic year, remains below that level.

Any “contemporaneous financial aid penalties" would not take effect until the 2006-07 academic year, according to the NCAA.

“This is a warning," said Jon Dever, the director of academic services for intercollegiate athletics at UA. “This is the NCAA telling us that this is how the rules will be applied.

“Right now, we are three-fourths of the way through a report, so we still have a quarter of the reporting period to fix the problems that this report has identified," Dever said. “We feel like we’ve identified the areas of concern, worked to correct them, and we feel comfortable that we have corrected them."

The APR is an NCAA initiative designed to increase graduation and retention rates at member institutions. The cut score of 925 is based on academic progress, retention and graduation rates for each program. The complete two-year APR report is scheduled to be released early in 2006.

If a team stays below the “cut rate" of 925 following that report, it could then lose a scholarship for each player who becomes academically ineligible and then leaves school with eligibility remaining. A program could lose up to 10 percent of the financial aid available in that sport -- up to nine scholarships, in football’s case.

“It is important to note that all information contained in this report is for one academic year only," the NCAA letter said. “This may lead to very small sample sizes within certain sports groups. Because of that, the NCAA will not be using these data alone for the purpose of rewarding or penalizing institutions and the reader should use The Crimson Tide football program was one of four UA programs identified as being “at risk" in a letter sent to UA from the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance on Tuesday. The other three programs identified as being “at risk" were the men’s cross country, men’s outdoor track and women’s basketball programs.the data with caution."

However, because of the small sample sizes in a one-year study of those programs, the NCAA’s “APR upper confidence boundary" projects that those programs will finish with an APR above 925 once the two-year data are calculated.

The football team APR score of 880 ranked in the 10th to 20th percentile of football teams nationally, and in the bottom 10 percent of all sports programs nationally, according to the NCAA. Its retention score of 903 ranked in the 20th to 30th percentile.

The football graduation and retention rate at UA has been affected by the departure of several players who left early to pursue professional careers, particularly after the 2003 season.

“We did have a number of players who withdrew from school, some of whom are playing in the NFL today," Dever said. “That is one of the areas which we have identified and are addressing."

The only UA program with an APR score that ranked in the top 10 percent nationally was the men’s basketball program, which had an APR of 1000. Other programs in the 80th to 90th percentile nationally with APR scores of 1000 included women’s softball, women’s indoor and outdoor track and women’s volleyball.

Alabama’s overall institutional APR score was 948, which was precisely the average for all Division I institutions. UA ranked slightly lower than the national average in eligibility/graduation (944, compared to a national average of 953) and slightly higher in retention (952, compared to a national average of 943).

The NCAA is scheduled to release the APR scores for all member institutions on Feb. 28.

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or (205) 722-0225

[quietfan 233]

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BTW, Finebaum reported that would have lost 40 Schollies over the last 5 years.

UA football could lose scholarships

The football graduation and retention rate at UA has been affected by the departure of several players who left early to pursue professional careers, particularly after the 2003 season.

“We did have a number of players who withdrew from school, some of whom are playing in the NFL today," Dever said. “That is one of the areas which we have identified and are addressing."

147507[/snapback]

1) I don't think athletes who successfully move on to pro careers should count against a school, but I understand counting those who drop out with unrealistic pro dreams that never actually play in the pros.

2) I haven't heard any figures on Auburn yet...anyone have a link on Auburn's status?

[DKW 86 6,939]

I guess we will have to wait until 2-28. I havent seen a word on us yet.

[DKW 86 6,939]

Found this on Rivals.

2004 (% graduating from 97-98 Frosh class)

Vanderbilt - 90

South Car - 65

Kentucky - 60

Auburn - 59

Ole Miss - 50

Tennessee - 50

Arkansas - 47

Florida - 44

Bammer - 43

LSU - 43

Georgia - 41

Miss St - 40

2003 (% graduating from 96-97 Frosh class)

Vandy - 91

Florida - 69

Auburn - 68

Georgia - 67

Miss St - 65

Bammer - 53

Tennessee - 47

Arkansas - 44

South Car - 37

LSU - 29

Kentucky - 24

Ole Miss - 23

[BamaGrad03 146]

So a guy goes pro and not only do we lose his services...but we cant offer ANOTHER scholarhip because he left? Thats freaking stupid.

[tiger88 934]

Sounds like foola might need to change his "lets recruit a bunch of borderline guys and see which ones stick" mentality.

[WarDlowe 39]

foola

[AUesquire 1]

Anyone know how those graduation rates stack up against the student body as a whole?

[tiger88 934]

foola   

147649[/snapback]

droola works for me too!

[Auburn85 415]

Vanderbilt leads the SEC

I also think Vandy doesn't have an athletic director

[PChamp119 96]

I thought someone last week reported a numbre of like 76% for Tuberville's kids? He has been here 6 years, so his kids have generally done well.

The main issues are those like:

1) When a player leaves the team (quits) or transfers to another school - how will that effect the school's graduation rate. Is that scholarship given to someone else if he quits the team? Some say if you transfer and do well and graduate, then it won't hurt the first school's graduation rates - but if you transfer and don't graduate then it will hurt the first school's graduation rate.

Someone needs to just determine what the deal is and make it fair.

[SouthLink02 8]

I also think Vandy doesn't have an athletic director

They got rid of their AD last year.

[quietfan 233]

Can a school get bonus points for players who graduate earlier but come back for another year of eligibility and graduate work anyway? Tuberville seems to turn out quite a few of those also.

[kingfish 59]

I heard UA bragging about leading the nation in football Academic All Americans on a radio commercial just last week. Just crowing about how they had more than Harvard. Looks like a footnote would be in order concerning the graduation rate ... to avoid being misleading.