New NCAA grad rate window announced

[stebo]

Looks like the new NCAA stats released yesterday have turned our basketball program from an NCAA bottom dwellar to a top ranked Grad rate program. Congrats to JJ and his team for making the grades and getting us out of the NCAA doghouse. This new system is different then the old system and these good marks could not have come at a better time, schools scoring below the minimum 925 score will lose scholarships that they can offer. Way to go Guys! It looks like Coach's numbers were on the money and I am so happy that the new stats are about 80% better then the ones that were the current stats just two days ago. Again - Congrats to JJ and his players for making this alumnus proud.

UNT makes grade in athletics

08:45 AM CST on Tuesday, March 1, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas finished above the pass-fail mark as an overall program in an NCAA study released Monday that measures universities’ performance in keeping athletes eligible and in school.

UNT finished with a score of 951 on the Academic Progress Compilation Report, just above the pass-fail line of 925.

Scores are calculated by giving athletes one point per semester for maintaining their eligibility and another point for staying in school. Points are then added and divided by the highest possible total. The resulting percentage is transformed into a point total.

Schools could face penalties, including the loss of scholarships, if they score below 92.5 percent or 925 points.

"We are happy with how we did," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said. "It is a system we are going to have to adjust to."

UNT’s softball and football teams were the only programs within the department that failed to exceed the pass-fail line. The softball team finished with a score of 880 while the football team fell just short of the pass-fail mark at 907. The figures released Monday are based on statistics gathered during the 2003-04 school year.

Villarreal said UNT has already calculated what the softball team’s score will be for the fall semester. The Mean Green will be above the pass-fail mark.

UNT had several teams finish with a perfect 1,000 mark, including volleyball, women’s indoor and outdoor track, tennis, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s cross country.

The NCAA’s study on programs’ ability to keep their athletes eligible differed from pervious studies that focused on the number of players who graduate. The UNT football team has improved its graduation rate in all but one season during coach Darrell Dickey’s seven-year tenure with the team.

Each senior on the 2004 team is on track to graduate.

"I will need to look at the figures to see where we are really at based on what they are asking us to do," Dickey said. "I have been pleased with the improvement we have made since I have gotten here, but I also realize that we have a lot of improving to do."

The football team’s increasing graduation rate has helped UNT increase its overall graduation rate for athletes from 37 percent to more than 60 percent in the last few years, Villarreal said. School officials expect that rate to continue to improve after statistics for the current year are calculated.

"The first set of numbers give you a way to measure yourself and see where your deficiencies are," Villarreal said. "Traditionally football and basketball have not been as proficient in graduating players. We need to continue to work on ways to move those sports to where they need to be."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT academic report

The NCAA released Monday its Academic Progress Rate Compilation Report, a measure of the job schools do keeping their athletes eligible and in school. The following are UNT’s numbers for the 2003-04 school year:

Sport

Grade

Men’s cross country 1,000

Women’s cross country 1,000

Men’s golf 1,000

Women’s golf 1,000

Women’s tennis 1,000

Women’s indoor track 1,000

Women’s outdoor track 1,000

Women’s volleyball 1,000

Women’s basketball 982

Men’s basketball 977

Men’s indoor track 971

Men’s outdoor track 971

Women’s swimming 968

Women’s soccer 958

Football 907

Softball 880

Program totals 951

* What the numbers mean: Each student athlete receives a point per semester for staying eligible and another for staying in school. The points for each team are added together and divided by the highest possible total to reach a percentage that is translated to a point total. For example, 92.5 percent translates to a score of 925. Schools that fall below the 925 mark could face scholarship penalties next year.

[Guest JohnDenver]

Stebo,

This isn't graduation rate. This isn't even comparing apples to apples. RV himself at the AC tour/film said this system is terrible for the student athelete but good for the program. He bases that opinion upon NCAA being concerned with the players ELIGIBILITY for that given year, not if the player ever graduates. They could care less if the player takes ceramics for youths classes all four years and never gets a degree ...

So, yes, it is good that the players remaining eligible, but that was never really a problem. I don't recall too many players just leaving the team due to grades in the middle of the year. Perhaps they leave in the offseason ... But they should really stick to their graduation rating, since that is why the general student body and University are judged by.

[EagleD]

[ I don't recall too many players just leaving the team due to grades in the middle of the year.]

Not for us but, P.J. Tucker, the starting point guard for Texas, lost his elligibility at the winter break. How do you flunk out of Texas when you have tutors for every class your taking? And that's what's done on the level. Who know what really goes on. That Texas team is not the same w/o him.

GO MEAN GREEN !!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest JohnDenver]

Oh definitely it has hurt UT this year. They are just average without him ... they also lost one dude to injury.

I was just talking about our team and players eligibility at midyear. I bet there are some, but I can't think of any offf the top of my head.