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As we do each year, we heap laurels and and a few raspberries on our various athletic teams and their academic support groups for their performance in APR - a crude measure of academic compliance. APR is not a measure of intellect, academic rigor or much else. Basically, it's a measure of your program's ability to have their shit together and meet some very modest standards demonstrating progress to a degree. Whatever the degree in your field at your school happens to be worth.
Here are the latest results:
This APR is based on data submitted by the institution for the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years.
The University of Texas Academic Progress Rate
Men's Programs: Multi-year APR
Baseball: 995
Basketball: 1,000
Cross Country: 959
Football: 958
Golf: 987
Swimming and Diving: 984
Tennis: 1,000
Track, Indoor: 985
Track, Outdoor: 987
Women's Programs: Multi-year APR
Basketball: 996
Cross Country: 1,000
Golf: 992
Rowing: 995
Soccer: 991
Softball: 996
Swimming and Diving: 1,000
Tennis: 983
Track, Indoor: 986
Track, Outdoor: 986
Volleyball: 1,000
**
Can you spot the historical outlier after everyone decided to get their houses in order in 2007?
The 2015 results are impressive across the board, but pretty much the same relative results we see every year. Football is dead last (but ticking up from truly moribund APR scores - we were six points away from actually losing bowl eligibility) and men's basketball, baseball and outdoor track killed it relative to their athletic demographics along with some other predictably strong performers. Take a bow again, Randa Ryan.
Our cross country scores prove that people who willingly run more than five miles at a time are rendered functionally stupid by their vegan diets, lack of mirror time at Gold's gym and tight IT bands.
The Longhorn ladies killed it across the board. Pretty impressive stuff.
Anyone else curious to see what Charlie Strong's APRs look like? I think he'll take more academic risks, but the structures, support and emphasis are clearly much better. Hopefully, cycling over the roster won't count too much against him.
Lastly, props to the departed Rick Barnes and the some day departing Augie Garrido. Their academic ship was in complete disarray and they acted decisively to set it right in sports where early entry to the pros and transfers are constant and academic focus isn't always primary. They admitted their problem, empowered Randa Ryan and made it clear to their athletes that their obligations didn't end on the field of play.
Nice to know that Shaka's hire won't mean a step back.
Thoughts?