USF ATHLETICS: Nine Programs Post Perfect Single-Year APR Scores

All programs post over a 967 multi-year mark, a program best;

Five programs post perfect multi-year APR marks

TAMPA, MAY 2, 2023 – University of South Florida Athletics continues to see student-athletes produce academic success at high levels as the Bulls had all 16 rated programs post a 967 or better multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR), the best showing in program history, when the NCAA released its most recent data.

With nine teams posting perfect single-year APR scores and five posting perfect multi-year scores, all of the Bulls teams were safely above the NCAA’s minimum APR standard score of 930. USF posted an overall average score of 981 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Athletics continued to inch its baseline score upwards, improving on all teams being above 962 last year. Meanwhile, 11 programs posted a multi-year score of 990 or better and seven set or equaled a program record, coming on the heels of nine doing so last year. The NCAA’s 2023 multi-year APR scores comprise data from the previous four academic years.

“I’m very proud of what USF student-athletes continue to accomplish in the classroom as they pursue their academic goals and future aspirations,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “Our commitment to academic success, the leadership of our Academic Services staff and top-notch academic facilities create a student-athlete experience that is second to none and our student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to deliver impressive results in the classroom,”

Men’s basketball (985), men’s soccer (993) and women’s basketball (995) all set program multi-year APR score records while men’s cross country, men’s tennis, women’s golf, women’s tennis and volleyball equaled program records by posting perfect multi-year scores of 1,000. It marked the 12th such score for women’s golf, while women’s tennis posted its ninth perfect score, men’s tennis its fifth, men’s cross country its fourth and volleyball its third.

Among the eight programs to post perfect single-year APR scores for 2021-22 were men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and volleyball. Meanwhile, the softball program (990) led by head coach Ken Eriksen continued a streak of a 990 or better score in every report since the NCAA began reporting APR in 2004-05.

USF will see 79 student-athletes earn their degrees during fall, spring and summer commencement ceremonies in 2022-23 and more than 600 earn degrees since 2016-17.

USF Athletics increased its record streak of an annual department grade-point average over 3.0 to 16 consecutive semesters and eight years after the 2022 fall term. Following back-to-back semesters with a record number of Athletics Honor Roll recipients, including 289 in the fall of 2021, the Bulls saw 247 earn the honor after the 2022 fall semester with over 68 percent of student-athletes posting over a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average.

Academic Progress Rate

The 2023 APR report features a four-year compilation of data from the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21and 2021-22 academic years. The APR uses formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performances of all participants who receive grants-in-aid on every team at every NCAA Division I college and university. It provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete, and a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

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 the 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.

The APR is based on four years of data, with the most current year’s data added and the oldest year removed to create a four-year (multi-year) rolling rate. Penalties can be applied if an athletic team’s multi-year APR score is below 930.

About USF Athletics

USF Athletics currently sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, which will expand to 21 teams with the recently announced additions of women’s lacrosse (2024-25) and women’s beach volleyball. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 57th season in 2022-23. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 140 conference titles claimed in 15 sports in department history, led by 20 each for men’s tennis and men’s soccer. USF has claimed 74 men’s conference championships and 64 women’s titles, led by 14 in women’s tennis and 12 in volleyball. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for more than eight straight years and have posted a program record of 16 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the fall of 2022. USF has had over 600 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.

Follow USF Athletics on Twitter (@USFAthletics) and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.

– #GoBulls  –