Academic Numbers For NCAA Tourney Teams Bring Good, Bad News

In his annual study of Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournament teams, Univ. of Central Florida (UCF) Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport Dir Richard Lapchick noted there was “substantial good news” for the men’s programs’ Graduation Success Rates (GSR), but said the “lingering bad news is the continuing disparity in the academic success between African-American and white men’s basketball student-athletes.” Based on the GSR, 41 of 64 teams in the men’s tournament (Ivy League schools do not report such data), or 64.1%, graduated at least 50% of their players, while 33 teams (51.6%) graduated at least 60% and 24 (37.5%) graduated at least 70%. Twelve teams (18.8%) graduated less than 40%. Among teams in the women’s tournament, 62 of 63 (98.4%) graduated at least 50%, 61 (96.8%) graduated at least 60% and 52 (82.5%) graduated at least 70%. No women’s teams were less than 40%. The study showed 41 of 60 men’s teams (68.3%) graduated 70% or more of their white student-athletes, while only 19 of 63 teams (30.2%) graduated 70% or more of their African-American players. For the women, 53 of 62 teams (85.5%) graduated 70% or more of their white players, while 38 of 60 (63.3%) graduated 70% or more of their African-American student-athletes. Only teams that had players of that race during the period under review were used in the calculations.

APR: In examining the ’06 Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores of men’s tournament teams, only Florida A&M, New Mexico State, and Texas A&M will be subject to penalties under the 925 “cut” score, which is an expected graduation rate of 50% of its student-athletes. There were 26 men’s teams (40%) that did not receive a score of 925 or more on the APR. Among the women’s tournament teams, only Middle Tennessee State will be subject to APR penalties. Nine women’s teams (14.1%) did not receive a score of 925 or more (Univ. of Central Florida).

IT’S ALL ACADEMIC: NCAA Senior Advisor to the President Wally Renfro and former Knight Commission co-Chair William Friday appeared via satellite on Bloomberg TV Thursday to discuss academics in college athletics. Renfro said of the APR and GSR numbers, "The trends are certainly up." But Friday said, "The time has come for the presidents and the trustees of these universities, who are involved, to face the fact that we are in a stressful situation and the public expects us to be accountable. There won't be a second chance in this, because if you do not do this then you're acknowledging that you're in the entertainment business" (BLOOMBERG TV, 3/15).