May 17, 2011

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame ranked number one among all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions with 17 of its athletics programs receiving 2011 Academic Progress Rate public recognition awards, as the NCAA today honored Division I sports teams for their latest multi-year APR scores.

These 17 Irish teams 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. These awards are based on the most recent APR numbers that represent the combination of scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

Here are the 17 Notre Dame programs honored this year for the multi-year achievement:

• Men’s Sports (9) – baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.

• Women’s Sports (8) – cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.

Notre Dame had a previous high of 15 programs honored a year ago in 2010, after 14 programs were honored in 2009. Eleven Irish programs were honored each of the previous two years, in both 2007 and 2008.

Here are the former Division I football-playing institutions that ranked in the top 10 this year, in terms of programs honored:

1.  Notre Dame            172.  Duke                  153.  Boston College        114.  Vanderbilt            105.  (tie) Northwestern     9    Penn State             9    Stanford               9    Texas                  99.  U.S. Naval Academy     810. North Carolina         7

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

The effort is part of a public-recognition program the Division I Board of Directors approved in January 2006 – with a record 909 teams honored in 2011. In 2007, 839 teams were recognized, in 2008 712 were honored, in 2009 the number was 767, and in 2010 841 teams were honored.

Among Bowl Championship Series conference schools the BIG EAST Conference ranked first with 77 teams honored (compared to 70 a year ago).

Multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports teams will be announced May 24. The announcement also will include immediate and historical penalties for low-performing teams.

— ND —