Ball State's Acadmic Progress Report

In the latest Academic Progress Rate Report issued by the NCAA, Ball State University student-athletes in 18 of the school’s 19 intercollegiate athletic programs graded out better than the necessary 925 score, and 11 of the sports programs were at or above the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions.

The APR data submitted by schools across the country is for the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years. The data is a four-year average, and any score below 925 is subject to penalties from the NCAA.

Ball State’s men’s basketball program scored an 873 on the APR and as a result will be limited to awarding 11 athletic scholarship renewals for the 2009-10 academic year.

“The Ball State athletics program has a rich tradition in excelling in academics and athletics,” Ball State athletics director Tom Collins says. “We have consistently been among the highest rated institutions in the Mid-American Conference in regards to APR and graduation rates. Our men’s basketball program from the 2004 to 2007 seasons underwent some coaching changes and a number of student-athletes transferred for a variety of reasons, causing the team’s APR to fall below the required 925 score. Our current coaching staff has stabilized the program, and as always, academics is a top priority. We are excited about the academic success of our student-athletes and look forward to improvement among the men’s basketball team as we move forward in 2009-10.”

In 2007-08, Ball State’s 420 student-athletes tallied a 3.024 cumulative grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale and finished second among the Mid-American Conference’s 13 schools for the league’s Academic Achievement Award. Since the 1973-74 season, Ball State student-athletes have garnered ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors 93 times, which ranks 23rd in the nation among all schools in the history of the Academic All-America program, which is conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

“Our coaching staff has laid a strong foundation for our program over the past two years rooted in four traits – character, commitment, mental toughness and dedication,” Ball State head men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor says. “We have made great strides both on and off the court having graduated all four seniors this year and having all five freshmen honored at the President’s 3.0 Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. We are focused on our future and will continue to develop quality young men throughout our program.”

Below are the scores of all 19 of Ball State’s intercollegiate athletics programs along with the national average for all NCAA Division I institutions:

BSU Team - (Nat. Avg.) - Team APR Score
Women’s Gymnastics - (983)- * 995
Men’s Golf - (963) - * 994
Women’s Basketball - (962) - * 990
Women’s Swimming - (979) - * 990
Men’s Tennis - (964) - * 987
Men’s Swimming - (967) - * 987
Women’s Soccer - (973) - * 986
Women’s Indoor Track - (965) - * 982
Women’s Outdoor Track - (966) - * 982
Field Hockey - (985) - 978
Women’s Golf - (976) - * 976
Women’s Cross Country - (971) - * 975
Women’s Volleyball - (972) - * 974
Men’s Volleyball - (971) - * 972
Softball - (968) - 962
Women’s Tennis - (974) - 961
Football - (939) - * 944
Baseball - (946) - 939
Men’s Basketball - (933) - 873
* Denotes team score higher than the national average

So what's this all tell us? For starters, it tells us that Ronnie Thompson continues to give little parting gifts to the Cardinals, this time in the form of two lost scholarships. Ones that can be returned pending improvement in the basketball APR. Thankfully, mercifully, this appears to be the last little remnant of the Thompson administration, and thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.