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Norfolk State University has three athletic teams with perfect APR scores

NORFOLK, Va. | Three Norfolk State University athletic teams earned a perfect score of 1,000 on the latest multi-year academic progress rate (APR) data released on Tuesday by the NCAA. The scores include data from the 2018-19 through the 2021-22 academic years.

NSU’s average 2021-22 APR score was 970, with one program (men’s tennis) earning a perfect multi-year score of 1,000. Women’s Tennis and women’s cross country also recorded a perfect score of 1,000 during the 2021-22 academic year. Baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s cross, men’s track, softball, women’s bowling, women’s track and women’s volleyball all posted scores of 930 or better.

“At Norfolk State, we are dedicated to the holistic development of our student-athletes, providing them with the resources to be champions, both in competition and in the classroom,” Director of Athletics Melody Webb said. “Under the transcendent leadership of President, Dr. Javaune Adams- Gaston, the department of athletics and specifically our dedicated athletic academic support staff and coaches, have provided a foundation of mentoring and initiatives to reinforce the efforts of our student-athletes, who understand that they are students first. To that end, we are excited to congratulate our men’s and women’s tennis teams and our women’s cross country team on earning a perfect APR score which places them in the top 10% in the nation. We also want to congratulate all of our teams on their commitment to being scholar athletes.”

Nationally, NCAA Division I teams held steady with an overall Academic Progress Rate of 984. The multiyear rates for baseball remained at 977, football fell by two points to 962 and men’s basketball (967) and women’s basketball (982) decreased by one point from last year’s reported APR scores. These sport decreases were due to drops in eligibility rates in 2021-22 rather than lower rates of retention.

Each academic year, every Division I sports team across the country calculates its APR using a simple and consistent formula. Each term, scholarship student-athletes can earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. For schools that do not offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked. The Academic Performance Program has established an essential framework for academic excellence. The program provides measurable goals to ensure schools are fulfilling their commitment of equipping student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success.

Additionally, many former student-athletes are returning to the classroom after exhausting their athletics eligibility to complete their degrees. Throughout 19 years of the Academic Performance Program, more than 20,700 student-athletes have gone back to school to earn their degrees, earning APR points for their former team. For football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball, more than 10,657 former student-athletes have earned degrees. These student-athletes are typically not counted in the federal graduation rate or Graduation Success Rate calculations.

This is the second year of publicly reported APRs after a one-year COVID-19 hiatus. Last spring, the Division I Board of Directors approved the release of APR scores but voted to continue the suspension of program penalties.

The minimum APR academic standard for each team is 930. Typically, teams that scored below the benchmark would have to face penalties that encourage an emphasis and prioritization on academics. However, due to the current penalty suspension in place, teams falling below the minimum 930 score will not be subjected to penalties this year.

Normal Academic Performance Program operations with program penalties and loss of access to postseason competition will resume in spring 2024. This will also include the public recognition of high-performing teams.

A full list of APRs for each team can be accessed by using the APR searchable database.

For complete coverage of Norfolk State athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @NSUSpartans (Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.

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