Report: Longhorn Athletes Excel Both On and Off the Field

By Jordan Schraeder in Special, Sports on June 20, 2012 at 5:45 pm | No Comments

We know our Longhorn student-athletes can score in a game, but are they scoring in the academic arena as well?

Yes, according to the multi-year NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rates released today.

Seven UT teams—baseball, men’s basketball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and volleyball—earned public nods for their latest APR, which tracks athletes’ academic progress by taking into account eligibility, retention, and graduation.

Another impressive fact: all 20 of UT’s intercollegiate sports programs blew past the APR rating required by the NCAA.

This accolade comes on the heels of a June finding that this year’s Longhorn football team graduation rate surpassed the university-wide goal of 70 percent—a dramatic improvement from years past.

“We’re very proud that the data once again shows the consistent success of our entire department,” UT men’s athletics director DeLoss Dodds said in a press release. “We are about winning championships on the field of play, but we also have a responsibility to develop the complete person in each of our student-athletes.”

Texas Softball’s Nadia Taylor awaits the pitch during the fall opener against Temple College. Photo by Rebecca Rodriguez. Courtesy the Daily Texan.

Tags: Academic Progress Rate, APR, ncaa