University of Oklahoma Athletics
15 Sports Match or Exceed National APR Average
April 20, 2016 | Athletics
NORMAN — The NCAA released Academic Progress Rate data for member institutions Wednesday and the University of Oklahoma once again fared very well with 15 of its 19 athletics programs recording a multiyear (four-year average) APR score equal to or above the NCAA Division I national average for those sports (14 of 19 exceeded the national average).
All sport programs at OU earned a multiyear APR score at least 25 points above the NCAA's required minimum of 930 after the 2014-15 academic year. The latest report marks the sixth consecutive year that all of OU's athletics programs have finished above the NCAA minimum APR threshold.
Four OU programs — women's golf, women's gymnastics and men's and women's tennis — registered perfect multiyear APR scores of 1,000. This is the third consecutive year that OU's women's golf and women's gymnastics programs posted a perfect APR score, and the second straight year that women's tennis has accomplished the feat. Men's basketball, which advanced to this year's NCAA Final Four, recorded its highest multiyear APR ever with a 984.
Ten OU athletics programs recorded a perfect 1,000 single-year APR score in 2014-15, most in the Big 12 among the 19 sports that the Sooners sponsor. Those programs are men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's and women's tennis and women's rowing.
"While we're thrilled with what is occurring with our athletics teams on the playing surface, our ultimate goal is the graduation of our student-athletes," said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "Today's APR data shows our commitment in that area, and is a reflection of the positive trend in graduation rates as a department with our most recently reported four-year graduation success rate of 84 percent, a school record. We're pleased with where we stand but also recognize that there is room for continuous improvement. We stand committed to providing the resources that enhance the student-athlete experience."
OU women's golf (1,000), women's gymnastics (1,000), women's tennis (1,000), men's tennis (1,000) and softball (997) each led the Big 12 in multiyear APR scores, while volleyball (995) and wrestling (971) ranked second in the conference. OU is the only Big 12 school to sponsor a men's gymnastics team, but the Sooners' 991 surpassed the national Division I average of 986 in that sport. This past weekend, OU became the first school to win NCAA championships in both men's and women's gymnastics.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
In addition to the Sooners' APR success, OU student-athletes have posted a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for a school-record eight consecutive semesters. Fifteen of 19 OU teams posted a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 during the fall 2015 semester. The department's 3.06 cumulative GPA last semester tied a school record.
