CHENEY, Wash. — Three Eastern Washington University athletic programs have been recognized by the NCAA for their Academic Progress Rate, the annual standard of academic achievement calculated for all NCAA Division I sports. EWU volleyball, men's tennis and women's tennis each achieved perfect 1,000 multiyear scores in the NCAA's 2021-22 cohort report,
as announced on Tuesday.
All 14 Eagle athletics programs are above the minimum threshold of 930, meaning each sport remains in good standing with the NCAA for competition. Women's soccer narrowly missed a perfect score with a 997 and three others — men's cross country, women's cross country and women's golf — were at or above 980.
"The APR report shows that Eastern Washington Athletics is performing at a high level in the classroom and also retaining our student-athletes," said EWU Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator Catherine Walker. "EWU Athletics puts an emphasis on academic success to graduate. This shows the incredible job done by our student-athletes as well as academic advisors and coaches in supporting our student-athletes in their academic careers."
The women's tennis team has a long reputation for academic excellence, receiving a perfect score eight times since the introduction of the APR in 2004-05, including five consecutive dating back to the 2016-17 report. This year marks the first ever perfect scores for EWU volleyball and men's tennis.
Eastern sports have now achieved a cumulative 38 scores of 1,000 since 2004-05. Public announcement of the APR ratings returned in 2022 — with the 2020-21 report — after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
EWU 2021-22 APR Multiyear Rates (number of participants)
- Men's tennis — 1,000 (19)
- Women's tennis — 1,000 (23)
- Women's volleyball — 1,000 (36)
- Women's soccer — 997 (85)
- Women's golf — 987 (20)
- Women's cross country — 981 (21)
- Men's cross country — 980 (20)
- Women's track and field — 973 (106)
- Football — 968 (260)
- Men's basketball — 963 (39)
- Women's basketball — 962 (43)
- Men's track and field — 941 (77)
About the APR
While the idea of a more contemporary and accurate measure of a team's academic success sprouted in the early 2000s as part of a comprehensive reform effort, it wasn't until the 2004 NCAA Convention that what is now one of the most recognizable acronyms in the NCAA was officially adopted.
The APR, or Academic Progress Rate, holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.
The APR is calculated as follows:
- Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
- A team's total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team's Academic Progress Rate.
- In addition to a team's current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.
- Teams must earn a four-year average APR of 930 to compete in championships.
More information is available here.
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