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Rice University Athletics
Owls Honored By AFC For Continued Academic Excellence
12/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 11, 2009
Rice has been recognized by the American Football Coaches Association as one of the top programs in the country based on the Owls' continued success in graduating their student-athletes.
Notre Dame and Miami will share the AFC's 2009 Academic Achievement Award, after recording a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its freshman football student-athlete class of 2002.
A total of 39 institutions were recognized for graduating 75 percent or more of their football student-athletes. Rice, and eight other institutions -- Alabama, Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Navy, Northwestern, Penn State, Southern Mississippi -- achieved a rate of 90 percent or better. The remaining 30 institutions are: Air Force, Army, Central Florida, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Marshall, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, South Florida, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Troy, Tulane, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington and West Virginia.
This marks the 21st time in the last 22 years that Rice has been honored for its graduation success. The Owls are tied with Virginia for the most recognitions from the AFC since the award was created in 1981.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997 the AFCA stepped in to present the award and conduct a graduation rate survey that encompassed all members of the FBS.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes which is a change from the five-year window used by the CFA and AFCA. The GSR was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees.
Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution's GSR cohort. By counting incoming transfer students and midyear enrollees, the GSR increases the total number of student-athletes tracked for graduation by more than 37 percent. The NCAA also calculates the federal graduation rate for student-athletes because it is the only rate by which to compare student-athletes to the general student body.
