Blue Raiders' teams excel in annual APR Report

Seven turn in perfect single-year scores

MURFREESBORO, Tenn - Each of Middle Tennessee's 17 athletic teams have earned a multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of over 930 once in again in 2016-17 as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released its annual report Wednesday.

The Blue Raiders' sports teams have now done so for nine years running, with each team coming in at over 969 (out of 1,000) in the most recent multi-year APR report.

The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years. Middle Tennessee had 13 of 15 sports (indoor and outdoor track count as one) with a 975 on the multi-year report, with women's golf and women's volleyball posting a perfect grade of 1000.

Four sports were close behind women's golf and women's volleyball with multi-year scores exceeding 990. They were baseball (996), soccer (995), men's golf (992) and men's cross country (991).

In addition to high levels of success in the multi-year APR, 12 of 15 sports received scores of 980 or higher in the 2016-17 single-year APR with seven teams boasting perfect marks of 1000. The programs turning in a score of 1,000 were men's cross country, men's golf, women's cross country, women's golf, softball, women's tennis and women's volleyball.

Every Division I sports team calculates it's APR each academic year. Scholarship student-athletes each semester receive one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face consequences, including practice restrictions and playing season reductions. Rates are an average of the past four years' performance. National aggregates are based on all teams with usable data at the time of analysis.

In order to compete in the 2018-19 postseason, teams must achieve either a 930 multi-year APR or a 940 average over the most recent two years.

Middle Tennessee had three teams recognized by the NCAA last week for earning the Public Recognition Award based on their most recent multi-year APR. Those sports were women's golf (1,000), women's volleyball (1,000) and baseball (996). These awards are given each year to teams with APRs in the top 10 percent in each sport. It was the fifth consecutive year women's golf was honored with the award.