Notre Dame has ranked either first or second among all FBS programs for 11 straight years.

Notre Dame Rates First Among FBS Institutions for Fourth Straight Year In NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Awards

May 7, 2014

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame ranks number one among all NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision institutions for the fourth consecutive year with 15 of its athletics programs receiving 2014 Academic Progress Rate public recognition awards, as announced Wednesday by the NCAA, honoring Division I sports teams for their latest multi-year APR scores.

These 15 Irish teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. In their eighth year, the public recognition honors are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort. These awards are based on APR numbers that represent the combination of scores from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.

Here are the 15 Notre Dame programs honored this year for multi-year achievement:

  • Men’s Sports (10): baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field.
  • Women’s Sports (5): cross country, golf, softball, swimming and diving, volleyball.

Here are the FBS institutions that ranked in the top 10 this year, in terms of programs honored: 1.Notre Dame 15; 2. (tie) Duke, Stanford 14; 4. (tie) Boston College, Minnesota, Northwestern 12; 7. Penn State 8; 8. Vanderbilt 7; 9. (tie) Connecticut, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ohio University 6.

Notre Dame in 2013 also had 15 sports recognized (tied for first in the FBS with Duke), following two consecutive years (2012 and 2011) that a program-best 17 Irish teams were honored with the award. The NCAA recognized 14 Notre Dame programs in both 2010 and 2009 and 11 in both 2008 and 2007. In the eight years the awards have been presented, Notre Dame five times has produced the most sports honored at the FBS level– finishing second once, third once and fourth once.

Among individual Notre Dame sports, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field and softball have led the way, having been recognized in all eight years the public recognition awards have been presented. Next on the list are men’s basketball (seven years) and women’s soccer (six years), along with men’s lacrosse, baseball and men’s and women’s tennis (five each).

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 NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved in January 2006.

Full multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports team, including access to postseason play and penalties for low-performing teams, will be released May 14.

Here is where Notre Dame has ranked annually among FBS institutions in terms of raw number of sports receiving the APR public recognition awards:

20141. Notre Dame 15; 2. (tie) Duke, Stanford 14; 4. (tie) Boston College, Minnesota, Northwestern 12; 7. Penn State 8; 8. Vanderbilt 7; 9. (tie) Connecticut, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ohio University 6.
20131. (tie) Notre Dame, Duke 15; 3. Northwestern 14; 4. (tie) Boston College, Stanford 13; 6. (tie) Penn State, Vanderbilt 8; 8. Rice 7; 9. (tie) Texas, Illinois, Ohio State 6.
20121. Notre Dame 17; 2. Duke 13; 3. (tie) Boston College, Northwestern, Stanford 10; 7. (tie) Texas, Wake Forest 7; 9. Rice 6; 10. (tie) Illinois, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Tulane 5.
20111. Notre Dame 17; 2. Duke 15; 3. Boston College 11, 4. Vanderbilt 10; 5. (tie) Northwestern, Penn State, Stanford, Texas 9; 9. U.S. Naval Academy 8; 10. North Carolina 7.
2010–1. Duke 15; 2. Notre Dame 14; 3. Boston College 13; 4. Northwestern 10; 5. U.S. Naval Academy 9; 6. (tie) North Carolina, Stanford 8; 8. Vanderbilt 7; 9. (tie) Michigan, Rice, Vanderbilt 6.
20091. Notre Dame 14; 2. Duke 12; 3. (tie) Boston College, Stanford, U.S. Naval Academy 11; 6. Rice 7; 7. (tie) Michigan, North Carolina 6; 9. (tie) Northwestern, Penn State, Virginia, Wake Forest 5.
2008–1. (tie) Duke, U.S. Naval Academy 12; 3. Notre Dame 11; 4. (tie) Boston College, Stanford 10; 6. (tie) North Carolina, Northwestern 8.
2007–1. U.S. Naval Academy 14; 2. (tie) Boston College, Stanford 12; 4. (tie) Notre Dame, Duke, Rice 11; 7. Northwestern 9; 8. North Carolina 7.

— John Heisler, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations