May 6, 2008
Fourteen of the University of South Carolina’s 19 countable intercollegiate sports either showed improvement or remained the same over the data released last year and 13 of the 19 squads exceeded the national average for public institutions in their sports, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics released today.
The APR is a point system based on scholarship athletes’ eligibility and retention for a pre-determined time period. NCAA sports falling below the established point cutoff (925) are subject to penalties including scholarship reductions. The data released on Tuesday takes into account the scholarship athletes on rosters for the 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years.
The biggest improvement came in men’s track & field, with the number rising from 908 for the 2007 indoor season and 904 for the 2007 outdoor season to a mark of 931 for both sports in 2008.
The top score came from the volleyball program, which recorded a 979 for the second straight year. They were followed closely by women’s tennis (978), women’s swimming & diving (977), men’s golf (976) and women’s cross country (975).
The men’s basketball program was assessed a contemporaneous penalty which amounted to the loss of one scholarship, which was taken during the 2007-08 season. The Gamecocks’ football and men’s basketball teams will not face any additional penalties after being granted waivers by the NCAA.
South Carolina’s APR Four-Year Averages by Sport:
Sport 2007 2008
Baseball 938 929
Men’s Basketball 902 899
Football 913 921
Men’s Golf 960 976
Men’s Soccer 953 959
Men’s Swimming & Diving 958 943
Men’s Tennis 959 960
Men’s Indoor Track & Field 908 931
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field 904 931
Women’s Basketball 963 968
Women’s Cross Country 969 975
Women’s Golf 972 972
Women’s Soccer 959 961
Softball 964 960
Women’s Swimming & Diving 977 977
Women’s Tennis 990 978
Women’s Indoor Track & Field 948 960
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 948 960
Volleyball 979 979
