May 7, 2008

Each of the George Mason University's 22 NCAA-sponsored athletic programs met or exceeded the required minimum score on the Academic Progress Rate (APR) report released by the NCAA today.

According to the report, 14 Mason sport programs earned APR scores above 950, including 10 that scored better than the 965 required by the NCAA to be considered a "high performing" team. In addition, women's tennis scored 1,000 points for the fourth consecutive year and earned the special Public Recognition Award from the NCAA for ranking in the top 10 percent in their sport.

"These scores are a tremendous credit to the hard work and dedication by our student-athletes, coaches, and academic support services staff," Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor said. "The Academic Priority Program that was instituted in the fall of 2003 has shown great success. Although we are encouraged by our academic accomplishments, our goal is graduation for all Mason student-athletes."

Men's basketball, wrestling and women's tennis all ranked in the 80th to 100th percentile, meaning their scores were higher than at least 80 percent of other teams in their respective sports. Men's basketball increased its score in each of the four years to reach the current four-year average of 969.

The APR was developed by the NCAA to measure schools' academic accountability and provides a "real-time" snapshot of academic success each semester by looking at the current progress of each student-athlete. Eligibility, retention and graduation are the primary factors used in the rate calculation.

To earn a satisfactory grade, teams must have an APR of at least 925 on a scale of 1-1000, and teams that score below 925 can be subject to loss of scholarships. The 2006-07 scores are a combined average of the past four years' totals.

For more information on the APR, please visit the NCAA website at NCAA.org.