Two University of Denver sports programs are among nearly 800 Division I sports teams being recognized for top academic performance as part of the NCAA’s academic reform program.
Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR), the DU women’s volleyball team and women’s tennis team have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards. These awards are given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs.
High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000. Both DU programs earned perfect scores of 1,000.
“We take great pride in our academic success and graduation rates,” says athletics Vice Chancellor Peg Bradley-Doppes. “Our average GPA is 3.3 and we graduate close to 80 percent of our student-athletes, while having a retention rate of 90 percent. I would also like to give special congratulations to volleyball coach Beth Kuwata and women’s tennis coach Amy Jensen for exceptional performances by their student-athletes in the classroom.”
The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
The 767 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 11.9 percent of the approximately 6,484 Division I teams. The list includes 448 women’s teams and 319 men’s or mixed squads.
A total of 205 institutions — out of 331 Division I colleges and universities — placed at least one team on the top APR list. Another six schools that offer athletics in more than one division, out of 50 overall that do so within the NCAA, placed Division I teams on the list.