TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –– Florida A&M University (FAMU) saw the most perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in a single academic year as six athletic teams earned a perfect 1,000 for the 2022-23 academic year as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released its annual report.
“I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff who have worked extremely hard to improve FAMU’s NCAA APR rates,” said Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes.
“Through the implementation of early pre-certification, increased communication with coaches and student-athletes, and other strategies, we were able to see immediate impact and improvement in our APR. I want to thank the FAMU Foundation and our partner, Nike whose investment in summer school scholarships supported us in accomplishing our single-year APR goals.”
Ten of Florida A&M’s 12 athletic teams have earned a multiyear APR of over 930 from 2019-2020 to 2022-23.
This marks the fourth straight year the Rattlers have had at least ten of the 12 athletic teams to have a multiyear APR of 930 or better. The HBCU National Golf Champions finished in the top ten percent of the nation for their 1,000 multiyear score to earn an NCAA APR Public Recognition Award, the second time the Rattlers saw a sport in the top ten percent in department history.
For the 2022-23 year, the Rattlers had ten teams achieve a 930 or better. Another highlight was football, which had a score of 950, which was a 49-point jump from 2021-22.
2022-23 Rate (930 or better)
Baseball | 1,000
Women’s Basketball | 1,000
Bowling | 1,000
Tennis | 1,000
Volleyball | 1,000
Golf | 1,000
Softball | 951
Football | 950
Cross Country | 950
Men’s Track & Field | 949
Multiyear Rate (2019-2023, 930 or better)
Golf | 1,000
Bowling | 990
Women’s Basketball | 980
Volleyball | 974
Tennis | 972
Baseball | 968
Cross Country | 965
Softball | 965
Women’s Track & Field | 946
Men’s Track & Field | 938
To compete in the 2024-25 postseason, teams must achieve either a 930 multiyear APR or a 940 average over the most recent two years.
WHAT IS APR
COURTESY OF THE NCAA
Implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) 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 emerged when Division I presidents and chancellors sought a more timely assessment of academic success at colleges and universities. At the time, the best measure was the graduation rate calculated under the federally mandated methodology that was based on a six-year window and did not take transfers into account.
In addition to developing the APR, the presidents also adopted a new graduation rate methodology that more accurately reflects student-athlete transfer patterns and other factors affecting graduation (the new rate is called the Graduation Success Rate).
The APR system includes rewards for superior academic performance and penalties for teams that do not achieve certain academic benchmarks. Data are collected annually, and results are announced in the spring.
The Division I Committee on Academics (CoA) oversees the Academic Progress Rate as part of its responsibilities with the Academic Performance Program. The CoA sets policies and recommends legislative changes to the Division I Board of Directors which has the final say on changes in Division I.