Seven UW Athletic Teams Record All-Time High APR Scores

LARAMIE – University of Wyoming athletics teams not only enjoyed some of their most successful seasons athletically this past year, but they also continued to perform at a high level academically. Seven Cowboy and Cowgirl teams earned all-time high Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the most recent data released by the NCAA on Wednesday.

Men’s basketball (955), women’s basketball (987), football (964), men’s golf (1,000), men’s swimming and diving (987), women’s tennis (1,000) and women’s track and field (991) all recorded all-time high four-year rates for their programs. The most recent multi-year scores were based on a four-year period from the 2012-13 through the 2015-16 academic years.

All of the University of Wyoming’s athletics teams once again far exceeded the 930 minimum four-year average benchmark set by the NCAA to qualify for postseason competition. All of UW’s athletics teams earned a multi-year APR score of 955 or higher.

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On May 3, Wyoming men’s golf and women’s tennis teams were recognized by the NCAA for ranking in the Top 10 percent of their respective sports’ APR scores. Both Cowboy Golf and Cowgirl Tennis posted perfect four-year scores of 1,000. It was the fifth consecutive year that men’s golf posted a perfect score and the third straight year that women’s tennis achieved a perfect mark.

“It is very rewarding to see the way our student-athletes continue to set new highs in APR scores,” said Tom Burman, University of Wyoming Athletics Director. “The APR measures both the retention of student-athletes within our athletics program and the continued progress our student-athletes are making toward the ultimate goal of achieving their degree from UW. This is partially due to the matching funds provided by the state legislature which enabled us to invest in tutors and summer school. Credit for our continuing improvement in APR scores also needs to be shared with our coaching staffs, our academic counseling office and UW faculty and staff. Our coaches do a great job of recruiting outstanding young men and women to represent the University of Wyoming. Our academic counseling staff does an excellent job of providing our student-athletes with the tools they need to succeed in college, and the faculty and staff, who teach and provide a wealth of other services to our student-athletes, are extremely valuable in helping our young people reach their academic goals.”

In addition to the seven UW programs that set all-time high APR scores, three other programs scored 980 or above out of a possible 1,000. Those sports were: women’s swimming (987), women’s golf (980) and women’s volleyball (980). Women’s cross country scored a 977. Women’s soccer posted a 972. Men’s cross country had a score of 971. Men’s track and field posted a four-year rate of 957, and wrestling posted a 955.

The APR four-year averages are based on two factors: the retention rate of scholarship student-athletes and the academic eligibility of scholarship student-athletes over the four-year period. The most recent multiyear period measured was from the 2012-13 through the 2015-16 academic years.

The APR is calculated as follows

  • Each student-athlete receiving athletically-related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
  • A team’s total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.
  • In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.

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