Men's Tennis Receives NCAA Honors Through Public Recognition Award

Aug. 1, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For its academic success in the 2015-16 academic year, the South Carolina men’s tennis program received the NCAA’s Public Recognition Award for academic excellence. Throughout the season, the Gamecocks have been recognized for their academic efforts by several entities besides the NCAA, including the ITA and the SEC.

“It’s quite an honor for our program to receive this recognition from the NCAA,” head coach Josh Goffi said. “But it’s right in line with our culture and goals. Our student-athletes are getting pulled in every direction in college, but their ability to focus and excel both on and off the court is truly special. Through it all, they are gaining tools that will allow them to be successful in every area for the rest of their lives. “

In order to receive the award, an NCAA team must post an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent of its sport. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic success calculated by the NCAA. Men’s tennis is one of nine South Carolina teams to earn a perfect single-year APR score, and one of four to earn a perfect score two consecutive seasons.

South Carolina is one of five SEC tennis programs to receive the Public Recognition Award for the 2015-16 academic year.

South Carolina men’s tennis has been recognized for its academic success several times throughout the 2016-17 season. On July 26, the Gamecocks were named an All-Academic Team by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the sixth season in a row and had two players named ITA Scholar-Athletes. Earlier in the year, eight South Carolina men’s tennis student-athletes were named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.

The team’s academic success follows coach Goffi’s mission statement for the program, which emphasizes not just athletic development, but academic and personal development in order build strong leaders with the ability to build future success.