May 16, 2018 The University of Notre Dame received 13 NCAA Academic Progress Rate public recognition awards as the NCAA today honored Division I sports teams for their latest multi-year APR scores.
Among those 13 award-winning programs are three Irish sports–men’s cross country, men’s track and field and softball–that have been recognized in all 13 years the NCAA has presented the public recognition awards. Only 85 Division I programs nationally have been honored each year.
Also among those 13 are two teams–women’s basketball and men’s fencing–that won NCAA championships in 2018. The Irish men’s fencing squad joined with the Irish women’s fencing team to win the combined NCAA fencing title.
The 13 recognized Notre Dame teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. In the 13th year the NCAA has presented these honors, the latest awards are based on APR numbers that represent the combination of scores from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.
Notre Dame ranked among the top two NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision institutions for the 10th consecutive year with its 13 public recognition awards. The Irish have finished first in number of awards received in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, second in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, third in 2008 and fourth in 2007.
The NCAA announcement highlights teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports.
Here are the 13 Notre Dame programs honored this year for multi-year achievement:
- Men’s Sports (6): baseball, cross country, fencing, soccer, tennis, track and field
- Women’s Sports (7): basketball, golf, lacrosse, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball
Here are the top FBS institutions for 2018 in terms of programs honored:
1. Stanford (17)
2. Notre Dame (13)
3. (tie) Boston College, Northwestern (12 each)
5. Duke (11)
6. (tie) Michigan, North Carolina (10 each)
On a percentage basis, Notre Dame stood third in terms of programs honored at 54 percent (13 of 24)–behind only Northwestern (63 percent on 12 of 19) and Stanford (57 percent on 17 of 30) among FBS programs.
Notre Dame’s second-place finish in 2018 in terms of sports honored comes after the Irish produced the largest number of honored programs in four of the previous seven years. The 13 Notre Dame programs honored ranks four behind the highest figure for recognized Irish sports–the 17 received in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Notre Dame received 16 recognition awards in 2016 and 14 in 2017.
Notre Dame in 2014 and 2013 had 15 sports recognized (first in the FBS in 2014 and tied for first with Duke in 2013), 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 2010 and 2009, 11 in both 2008 and 2007 and 14 in 2006. In the 13 years the awards have been presented, Notre Dame six times has produced the most sports honored at the FBS level–finishing second five times, third once and fourth once.
Among individual Notre Dame sports, men’s cross country, men’s track and field and softball have led the way, having been recognized in all 13 years the public recognition awards have been presented. Next on the list are men’s golf (11 years), men’s fencing, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis (nine years each), followed by women’s cross country, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and volleyball (eight 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 on scholarship. The APR accounts for academic eligibility, retention and graduation at an institution 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.
Multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports teams will be released by the NCAA May 23.
Here is where Notre Dame has ranked annually among FBS institutions in terms of raw number of sports receiving the APR public recognition awards:
2018–1. Stanford 17; 2. Notre Dame 13; 3. (tie) Boston College, Northwestern 12; 5. Duke 11; 6. (tie) Michigan, North Carolina 10.
2017–1. Stanford 17; 2. Notre Dame 14; 3. (tie) Boston College, Duke 12; 5. (tie) Michigan, Minnesota 11; 7. Northwestern 10; 8. (tie) U.S. Naval Academy, North Carolina, Rice 8.
2016–1. Stanford 17; 2. Notre Dame 16; 3. Duke 15; 4. Minnesota 14; 5. (tie) Boston College, Northwestern 12; 7. (tie) Michigan, Rice 10; 9. Virginia 8; 10. (tie) U.S. Naval Academy, North Carolina, Tulane 7.
2015–1. Stanford 19; 2. Notre Dame 17; 3. (tie) Duke, Northwestern 15; 5. Minnesota 14; 6. Boston College 12; 7. Michigan 10; 8. Vanderbilt 8; 9. (tie) Arizona State, Illinois, Penn State, Texas, Tulane 7.
2014–1. 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.
2013–1. (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.
2012–1. 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 (Florida), Ohio State, Tulane 5.
2011–1. 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.
2009–1. 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.
2006–1. (tie) Notre Dame, Boston College 14; 3. U.S. Naval Academy 12; 4. (tie) Duke, Stanford 11; 6. Rice 10; 7. Northwestern 9.