April 22, 2009

Complete Release in PDF format

Center Valley, Pa. - The Patriot League was second among all Division I conferences in the release of the 2008-09 NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program Public Recognition Awards on Wednesday, with the eight member schools combining to have 76 of their Patriot League-sponsored sports honored for their latest Academic Progress Rate scores.

Bucknell led all schools with 14 Patriot League-sponsored teams honored, followed by Holy Cross and Lafayette with 13 each. Lehigh had 12 Patriot League-sponsored teams recognized, while Colgate had 11, Navy garnered eight, Army totaled three and American had two. Bucknell and Navy also had three non-Patriot League teams honored, while Colgate, Holy Cross and Lehigh each had one.

At least one school won a public recognition award in each of the Patriot League's 23 sports. A League-high six schools were recognized in women's swimming and diving. Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Army and Navy were all honored in men's basketball, while five of six baseball teams garnered awards. Sixteen Patriot League sports had three or more teams honored, including Bucknell, Colgate and Holy Cross as three of only 23 teams in all of Division I football.

The Patriot League's total was second among Division I conferences, trailing only the Ivy League and finishing comfortably ahead of the third-place Big East Conference.

The NCAA is honoring 767 Division I sports teams from 211 institutions with public recognition awards for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate scores. The teams recognized this year represent 11.9 percent of the 6,484 Division I teams. These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports, with each unit posting a score ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000. The public recognition awards are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

Multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition awards, will be announced May 6. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years.

Patriot League Teams Receiving Public Recognition Awards

American (2) - Swimming and Diving (M/W)

Bucknell (14) - Baseball, Basketball (M), Cross Country (M), Football, Golf (M), Tennis (M/W), Rowing (W), Field Hockey (W), Lacrosse (W), Soccer (W), Swimming and Diving (W), Indoor Track and Field (W), Outdoor Track and Field (W)

Colgate (11) - Football, Golf (M), Lacrosse (M), Soccer (M), Swimming and Diving (M/W), Indoor Track and Field (M/W), Outdoor Track and Field (M/W), Volleyball (W)

Holy Cross (13) - Baseball, Basketball (M/W), Football, Swimming and Diving (M/W), Cross Country (W), Lacrosse (W), Softball, Tennis (W), Indoor Track and Field (W), Outdoor Track and Field (W), Volleyball (W)

Lafayette (13) - Baseball, Cross Country (M/W), Lacrosse (M/W), Soccer (M), Swimming and Diving (M/W), Indoor Track and Field (M/W), Outdoor Track and Field (M/W), Tennis (W)

Lehigh (12) - Baseball, Basketball (M/W), Tennis (M/W), Cross Country (W), Rowing (W), Lacrosse (W), Softball, Soccer (W), Swimming and Diving (W), Volleyball (W)

Army (3) - Basketball (M/W), Volleyball (W)

Navy (8) - Baseball, Basketball (M/W), Tennis (M), Indoor Track and Field (M), Outdoor Track and Field (M), Cross Country (W), Rowing (W)

Additional Non-Patriot League Teams Honored From League Institutions

Bucknell (3) - Wrestling, Golf (W), Water Polo (W)

Colgate (1) - Ice Hockey (M)

Holy Cross (1) - Golf (W)

Lehigh (1) - Golf (W)

Navy (3) - Football, Gymnastics (M), Mixed Rifle