University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Student-Athletes Continue to Excel in Academics
4/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
April 20, 2016 
The University of Minnesota reported 11 athletic programs with perfect multiyear Academic Progress Rates (APR) in 2014-15, while 18 of 23 teams maintained or improved their multiyear scores, according to the NCAA.
The most recent rates, which include data for the 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, show all 25 Gopher programs well above the 930 cutline. Gophers athletics boasted 11 programs - baseball, men's cross country, men's golf, men's hockey, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's golf, women's gymnastics, softball, women's swimming, and volleyball -- with perfect multiyear scores of 1,000. This is an improvement from the eight in 2013-14.
The Gopher football team continued to improve a program record multiyear score of 992, which is the highest score since the start of the APR scores in 2004-05. Minnesota football improved from its multiyear score of 975 in 2013-014, 962 in 2012-13 and 955 in 2011-12. In all, Minnesota improved its multiyear score in nine Gopher programs, while another nine maintained their previous year's score.
"Here at the University of Minnesota, we continue to make academics a priority and this NCAA multiyear progress report continues to show the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and academic staff," interim athletics director Beth Goetz said.
Last week 14 Gopher programs were honored with APR Public Recognition Awards for scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport based on their most recent multiyear APR. Furthermore, 14 Golden Gopher programs scored a perfect 1,000 for the 2014-15 single year APR score.
APR scores are determined by eligibility and retention for each student-athlete on scholarship during a particular academic year. Student-athletes are awarded one point for each semester they are enrolled and one point for each semester they are eligible for intercollegiate competition. A student-athlete can earn a maximum of four points during an academic year. Additional points are not given for student-athletes that graduate at the end of the semester, rather the student-athlete is awarded one point for retention and one point for eligibility.
The APR is then calculated by taking the number of possible points for a particular sport for the four years and dividing that number by the total number of points earned from student-athlete retention and eligibility over the same period of time. The percentage is then multiplied by 1,000 to obtain the actual multiyear rate used in the report.
The purpose of the APR, according to the NCAA, is to provide a "real-time snapshot" of each team's academic performance. The NCAA requires teams to maintain a minimum multiyear APR of 930 to avoid contemporaneous penalties that include postseason bans and the possibility of losing grant-in-aid for the period of one year if a student-athlete leaves school while academically ineligible. Institutions will not be allowed to award the grant-in-aid from the ineligible student-athlete to a different student-athlete. The contemporaneous penalties only apply when a team below the 930 cutline does not retain an academically ineligible student-athlete.
For more information on the APR, please visit the NCAA website at NCAA.org.
University of Minnesota Academic Progress Rate Report -- Spring 2016
Men's Sports -- Multi-Year Rate/2014-15 Single Year Score
Baseball -- 1,000/1,000
Basketball -- 960/860
Cross Country - 1,000/1,000
Football -- 992/988
Golf -- 1,000/1,000
Gymnastics -- 997/1,000
Hockey -- 1,000/1,000
Swimming & Diving -- 977/966
Tennis -- 1,000/1,000
Track & Field -- 993/994
Wrestling -- 987/991
Women's Sports -- Multi-Year Rate/2014-15 Score
Basketball -- 979/942
Cross Country -- 1,000/1,000
Rowing -- 988/992
Golf -- 1,000/1,000
Gymnastics -- 1,000/1,000
Hockey -- 994/1,000
Softball -- 1,000/1,000
Soccer -- 997/1,000
Swimming & Diving -- 1,000/1,000
Tennis -- 993/972
Track & Field -- 999/1,000
Volleyball -- 1,000/974
The most recent rates, which include data for the 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, show all 25 Gopher programs well above the 930 cutline. Gophers athletics boasted 11 programs - baseball, men's cross country, men's golf, men's hockey, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's golf, women's gymnastics, softball, women's swimming, and volleyball -- with perfect multiyear scores of 1,000. This is an improvement from the eight in 2013-14.
The Gopher football team continued to improve a program record multiyear score of 992, which is the highest score since the start of the APR scores in 2004-05. Minnesota football improved from its multiyear score of 975 in 2013-014, 962 in 2012-13 and 955 in 2011-12. In all, Minnesota improved its multiyear score in nine Gopher programs, while another nine maintained their previous year's score.
"Here at the University of Minnesota, we continue to make academics a priority and this NCAA multiyear progress report continues to show the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and academic staff," interim athletics director Beth Goetz said.
Last week 14 Gopher programs were honored with APR Public Recognition Awards for scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport based on their most recent multiyear APR. Furthermore, 14 Golden Gopher programs scored a perfect 1,000 for the 2014-15 single year APR score.
APR scores are determined by eligibility and retention for each student-athlete on scholarship during a particular academic year. Student-athletes are awarded one point for each semester they are enrolled and one point for each semester they are eligible for intercollegiate competition. A student-athlete can earn a maximum of four points during an academic year. Additional points are not given for student-athletes that graduate at the end of the semester, rather the student-athlete is awarded one point for retention and one point for eligibility.
The APR is then calculated by taking the number of possible points for a particular sport for the four years and dividing that number by the total number of points earned from student-athlete retention and eligibility over the same period of time. The percentage is then multiplied by 1,000 to obtain the actual multiyear rate used in the report.
The purpose of the APR, according to the NCAA, is to provide a "real-time snapshot" of each team's academic performance. The NCAA requires teams to maintain a minimum multiyear APR of 930 to avoid contemporaneous penalties that include postseason bans and the possibility of losing grant-in-aid for the period of one year if a student-athlete leaves school while academically ineligible. Institutions will not be allowed to award the grant-in-aid from the ineligible student-athlete to a different student-athlete. The contemporaneous penalties only apply when a team below the 930 cutline does not retain an academically ineligible student-athlete.
For more information on the APR, please visit the NCAA website at NCAA.org.
University of Minnesota Academic Progress Rate Report -- Spring 2016
Men's Sports -- Multi-Year Rate/2014-15 Single Year Score
Baseball -- 1,000/1,000
Basketball -- 960/860
Cross Country - 1,000/1,000
Football -- 992/988
Golf -- 1,000/1,000
Gymnastics -- 997/1,000
Hockey -- 1,000/1,000
Swimming & Diving -- 977/966
Tennis -- 1,000/1,000
Track & Field -- 993/994
Wrestling -- 987/991
Women's Sports -- Multi-Year Rate/2014-15 Score
Basketball -- 979/942
Cross Country -- 1,000/1,000
Rowing -- 988/992
Golf -- 1,000/1,000
Gymnastics -- 1,000/1,000
Hockey -- 994/1,000
Softball -- 1,000/1,000
Soccer -- 997/1,000
Swimming & Diving -- 1,000/1,000
Tennis -- 993/972
Track & Field -- 999/1,000
Volleyball -- 1,000/974
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