MORGANTOWN — The 17 varsity sports sponsored by WVU combined for an Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 989, according to data released by the NCAA on Tuesday.
That’s the highest combined score ever from WVU in the 18 years APR scores have been in existence and it’s five points higher than the NCAA’s national average.
“We are proud of the high level of academic success with our student-athletes, and our scores continue to climb and be well above the national average,” WVU athletic director Shane Lyons said. “This record-high 989 score for West Virginia University is a testament to our student-athletes, our coaching staffs and our academic student-athlete development unit.”
The APR score is a rolling four-year academic snapshot of each sport based on eligibility and retention of student-athletes on a semester-by-semester basis.
The scores released by the NCAA on Tuesday are a reflection of each sport from 2017-2021.
Any WVU student-athlete receiving athletic aid in a varsity sport can earn up to four points per year for being academically eligible and remaining enrolled in the institution.
A team’s APR is the total points earned on the roster divided by that squad’s total possible points, multiplied by 1,000.
The highest score a team can achieve is 1,000. Teams must reach a minimum score of 930 in order to avoid NCAA sanctions, which can include a loss of scholarships or bans from postseason play.
WVU’s lowest score was wrestling (964), so no sport is in jeopardy of NCAA academic sanctions.
Among WVU sports that compete in the Big 12, women’s basketball (991) and gymnastics (995) were tied for first in the league.
Men’s basketball (990) and rowing (996) were second and women’s track (993) and baseball (973) were third in the conference.
Other key takeaways from the APR data:
• WVU’s football score of 974 was the highest in school history and a 14-point improvement from 2018-19. No scores were released for 2019-20, due to COVID-19.
• The women’s swimming team had the biggest improvement of 18 points (975-993), while the volleyball team saw an improvement of 17 points (977-994).
• The rifle team reached a perfect 1,000 points for the fifth consecutive year.
• The men’s basketball team has had an average score of 997.5 over the last six reports.
• The baseball team’s score of 973 was the second-highest that sport has had in the 18 years of APR reports.
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