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Notre Dame Among Leaders in NCAA APR Four-Year Numbers

May 23, 2018

Twelve University of Notre Dame athletic teams earned 1,000 scores—more perfect scores than any other NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision school except one–in the annual set of Academic Progress Rate statistics issued today by the NCAA.

Every Irish athletics program again far exceeded the NCAA’s APR minimum standard (930) for postseason eligibility.

Two of Notre Dame’s 12 perfect scores came in women’s basketball and men’s fencing, programs that claimed NCAA titles in 2017-18 (men’s fencing combined with the Irish women’s fencing squad in accomplishing that).

Notre Dame’s number of perfect scores of 1,000 has ranked either first or second among all FBS programs for 13 straight years. Leaders in the 2018 data released today are Stanford (16), Notre Dame (12) and Boston College and Northwestern (11 each).

Notre Dame led the FBS schools in 1,000 scores in 2016 (with 16), 2015 (with an institutional record 17), 2013 and 2012 (both with 12), 2009 (with nine), 2008 (with eight, tied with Duke) and 2006 (with 14, tied with Boston College). Notre Dame finished second in number of 1,000 scores in 2018, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2010 and 2007.

The 2018 report released by the NCAA features a four-year compilation of APR data from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years. The APR uses a series of formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performances of all participants who receive grants-in-aid on every team at every NCAA Division I college and university.

Five Notre Dame men’s teams—baseball, cross country, fencing, soccer and tennis–registered perfect 1,000 scores. Seven Irish women’s teams—basketball, golf, lacrosse, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball–also earned perfect scores. This marked the third year indoor and outdoor track and field were combined into one score.

Ten other Notre Dame teams produced scores of 987 or better: men’s track and field (996), men’s lacrosse (995), men’s swimming and diving (994), women’s cross country (994), women’s soccer (994), men’s golf (993), women’s rowing (992), women’s track and field (992), women’s fencing (991) and men’s ice hockey (987).

Over 13 years of APR numbers, the Irish men’s cross country team has earned 1,000 scores every year. Notre Dame men’s golf and men’s track and field teams have produced 11 1,000 scores. Women’s tennis, men’s fencing, men’s tennis and softball all have earned nine 1,000 scores—while women’s cross country has earned eight.

Over those same 13 years, Notre Dame has had 17 sports that have achieved scores of 987 or higher every year: men’s cross country, men’s fencing, men’s golf, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, softball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, rowing, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis and volleyball.

On a national basis, the overall four-year rate is at 983, up two points from a year ago—with football, women’s basketball and baseball posting two-point improvements from the 2017 numbers. The men’s basketball number went up by one point.

This release follows the announcement last week by the NCAA of teams that posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. The public recognition awards are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort.

Notre Dame had 13 of its programs honored last week for that multi-year achievement (second most among all FBS schools)—baseball, men’s cross country, men’s fencing, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, men’s track and field, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, softball, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis and volleyball.

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 both retention at institution and academic eligibility in its calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

Here is where Notre Dame has ranked annually among FBS institutions in terms of raw numbers of individual team 1,000 APR scores:

2018—1. Stanford 16; 2. Notre Dame 12 (5 men’s sports, 7 women’s sports); 3. (tie) Boston College Northwestern 11; 5. (tie) Duke, North Carolina 10.

2017—1. Stanford 14; 2. Notre Dame 12 (4 men’s sports, 8 women’s sports) , 3. Boston College 11; 4. (tie), Duke, Minnesota, Northwestern 9; 7. Michigan 8; 8. (tie) California, North Carolina, Rice, Rutgers 7.

2016— 1. Notre Dame 16 (7 men’s, 9 women’s); 2. Stanford 14; 3. Boston College 12; 4. Minnesota 11; 5. Rice 10; 6. (tie) Duke, Northwestern 9; 8. Tulane 7, 9. (tie) Auburn, Michigan, North Carolina 6.

2015—1. Notre Dame 17 (9 men’s, 8 women’s) ; 2. Stanford 15; 3. Northwestern 12; 4. Boston College 10; 5. Duke 9; 6. Minnesota 7; 7. (tie) Arizona State, Tulane, Vanderbilt 7; 10. (tie) Illinois, North Carolina, Penn State, Rice 6.

2014—1. Stanford 12; 2. Notre Dame 11 (7 men’s, 4 women’s), 3. Northwestern 10; 4. Minnesota 9; 5. (tie) Boston College, Duke 8; 7. Penn State 7; 8. (tie) Ohio State, Vanderbilt 6.

2013—1. Notre Dame 12 (8 men’s, 4 women’s) , 2. Stanford 11; 3. Duke 10; 4. (tie) Boston College, Northwestern 9; 6. Vanderbilt 7; 7. Rice 6.

2012—1. Notre Dame 12 (8 men’s, 4 women’s) ; 2. (tie) Boston College, Duke 9; 4. (tie) Northwestern, Vanderbilt 8; 6. Stanford 7; 7. (tie) North Carolina, Rice, Texas 5.

2011—1. Duke 10; 2. Notre Dame 9 (5 men’s, 4 women’s); 3. Boston College 6, 4. (tie) Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Texas, Tulane, U.S. Naval Academy, Vanderbilt 5.

2010—1. Duke 10, 2. Notre Dame 8 (5 men’s, 3 women’s); 3. Boston College 7.

2009—1. Notre Dame 9 (4 men’s, 5 women’s); 2. Duke 8; 3. (tie) Boston College, Stanford 6; 5. U.S. Naval Academy 5; 6. Michigan 4.

2008— 1. (tie) Notre Dame (5 men’s, 3 women’s), Duke 8; 3. Boston College 7; 4. Stanford 5; 5. (tie) Northwestern, Rice, U.S. Naval Academy 4.

2007—1. Boston College 10, 2. Notre Dame 9 (5 men’s, 4 women’s); 3. (tie) Rice, Stanford, U.S. Naval Academy 7; 6. Duke 6; 7. Northwestern 5.

2006— 1. (tie) Notre Dame (7 men’s, 7 women’s), Boston College 14.