The NCAA released its 2013-14 Academic Progress Rate report Wednesday, with figures showing “notable increases” in football and men’s basketball.
The APR for Division I men’s basketball programs increased by four points, while football programs saw a five-point rise.
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Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each season and creates an average of the past four seasons. If a program falls below the 930 standard, which represents roughly a 50-percent graduation rate, it cannot compete in postseason play.
For the 2015-16 season, 21 teams will be ineligible for postseason action, a sharp drop from 42 a year ago. Twenty-eight teams will face other penalties outside of a postseason ban compared to 70 in 2014-15.
“More college athletes than ever are succeeding in the classroom, and I applaud their commitment to academic achievement. We are pleased and proud of their accomplishments,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a release. “Our goal always has been to encourage students to achieve academically and earn their degrees. Every year, Division I students prove that both academic and athletic success are achievable.”
Of the schools facing penalties, Florida A&M took the most hits. The university’s men’s basketball, football, men’s cross country, and men’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams are ineligible for postseason competition and all face other penalties in 2015-16.