June 9, 2010

BERKELEY - Cal's NCAA-sponsored intercollegiate athletic programs continue to show steady improvements in their Academic Progress Rate (APR) results, with 19 teams increasing their multiyear scores from last year, according the most recent data released by the NCAA Wednesday.

Developed by member institutions as the centerpiece of its academic reform package, the APR provides a real-time view of a team's academic success by tracking the progress of each student-athlete during the school year. By measuring eligibility and retention each term, the APR provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

An APR score of 925 is the minimum level of academic success; teams scoring below 925 can lose scholarships and face other sanctions over time, including bans on postseason play. The scores are based on a multiyear rate that averages scores from the past four full academic years. As has been the case each year results have been released, all of the Golden Bears' programs exceeded the minimum score.

The just-announced averages, which are current through the 2008-09 academic year, show that eight of Cal's teams saw their averages rise by at least 10 points. Men's basketball had the largest increase, going from 944 to 967, while women's water polo's score climbed 19 points higher to 990, and both men's golf and men's gymnastics had their scores grow by 18 points apiece.

Football remained second in the Pac-10 with its score of 969, just behind Stanford's 976. Compared to their NCAA cohorts, football ranked in the 80-90th percentile, meaning its score was higher than 80 percent of all other football programs.

Earlier this spring, four of Cal's programs - men's golf, women's lacrosse, women's rowing and women's volleyball - received special recognition from the NCAA for their multiyear rates for their exceptional work in the classroom. Each of them posted APR scores in the top 10 percent compared to all squads in their particular sports. Men's golf, women's rowing and women's lacrosse all had APRs of 1,000, which is the highest score possible. Volleyball's score was 995.

Overall, the average APR for all Cal teams rose almost five points from 2007-08 figures to 975.

In the one-year APR, which looks at student-athletes from the 2008-09 academic year only, 10 sports had scores of 1,000. Men's basketball reached the plateau with an increase of 55 points over its 2007-08 total. Others to score 1,000 were men's cross country, men's gymnastics, men's tennis, men's indoor and outdoor track & field, women's rowing, lacrosse, volleyball and women's water polo.

More information on APR scores can be found on the NCAA website.