Mizzou Athletics Produces Strong NCAA Academic Progress Rates

Mizzou Athletics Produces Strong NCAA Academic Progress Rates

Tigers l= ead Big 12 in nine sports, rank among top 2 in 14-of-20 total sports

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The NCAA's= release of its Academic Progress Rates for 2008 show that the University of Missouri continues to lead the Big 12 Conference with regards to the eligibility, retention and graduation of its student-athletes.

The APR was developed by the NCAA in 2004 to measure t= he academic progress and performance of athletic programs at its member institutions. The Univers= ity of Missouri led the= Big 12 Conference in APR in nine of its 20 sports, with the second highest university having just three. Missouri had 14 of its 20 programs rank among the Big 12's top two overall. In addit= ion, all-nine Missouri= men’s sports ranked above the All-Division I national average, as did 8-of-11 women’s sports, adding to the Tigers’ success with the release of this most recent report.

"We are extremely encouraged and proud of the lat= est Academic Progress Rate numbers provided by the NCAA,” Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. “The academic success and advancement of o= ur student-athletes is one of our three core values here at Mizzou and we certainly salute the classroom efforts of our student-athletes, our coaches and our academic staff.”

Overall, Missouri led the Big 12's APR efforts in nine sports, including men's golf, men's swimming and diving, men's indoor track= and field, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's swimming and diving and women's indoor track and field.= The Tigers ranked second overall in baseball, men’s basketball, men's cross country, men's outdoor track and field and women's outdoor track and field.

Men’s Basketball increased its APR ranking withi= n the league, improving from third place last year and will have a remarkable sev= en student-athletes graduate this year. Football finished just three APR points out of the Big 12 lead with its score of 939. Oklaho= ma and Texas led the Big 12 at 942 and Nebraska was thi= rd at 941.

Each of Mizzou's 20 sports= met or exceeded the APR requirements for the 06-07 academic ye= ar, as well as the multi-year average. Three sports, which included men's golf, women's golf and women's cross country, recorded perfect scores for the 06-= 07 academic year and seven sports overall earned public recognition from the N= CAA, the other four being women’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving, women’s indoor track and women’s outdoor track.

The multi-year average for the latest Academic Progress Report spans the last four years and institutions are awarded points when a= student-athlete remains academically eligible for competition and when he or she either ret= urns to the institution the following semester or graduates. A maximum of two po= ints per student/per semester is awarded.

The NCAA does not penalize an institution for student-athletes who remain academically eligible but did not return to the institution due to circumstances beyond the student and/or institution's control. Examples of this include student-athletes who leave to pursue professional athletics, suffer from incapacitating physical or mental illne= ss, or experience extreme financial difficulties as the result of a specific ev= ent such as a death in the family.

Complete information on the 2008 APR Report can be fou= nd at the NCAA’s website, NCAA.org.<= /p>

Mizzou Men’= ;s Sports

Team (Big 12 Rank) &nbs= p; APR All Divisio= n I Average

Baseball (2^nd) = ; &n= bsp; = ; 946 = 938 = &nb= sp; =

Basketball (2^nd) &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 957 = 928 = &nb= sp; =

Cross Country (2^nd) = &nb= sp; 995 = 963 = &nb= sp; =

Football (4^th) = ; &n= bsp; = ; 939 = 934 = &nb= sp; =

Golf (1^st) &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = 1000 962 = &nb= sp; =

Swimming and Diving (= 1^st) = 971 = 967 = &nb= sp; =

Track (Indoor) (1^st) = ; &n= bsp; 966 = 951 = &nb= sp; =

Track (Outdoor) (2^nd) &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 966 = 951 = &nb= sp; =

Wrestling (4^th) &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 948 = 941 = &nb= sp; =

Mizzou WomenR= 17;s Sports

Team = ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; APR All Divisio= n I Average

Basketball (1^st) &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 1000 960<= o:p>

Cross Country (1^st) = &nb= sp; 995 = 970

Golf (1^st) &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = 1000 962<= o:p>

Gymnastics (1^st) &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 991 = 981

Soccer (7^th) &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 964 = 972

Softball (6^th) = ; &n= bsp; = ; 969 = 965

Swimming and Diving (= 1^st) = 998 = 978

Tennis (4^th) &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 970 = 971

Track (Indoor) (1^st) = ; &n= bsp; 994 = 963

Track (Outdoor) (2^nd) &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 994 = 964 = &nb= sp; =

Volleyball (11^th) &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; 930 = 970