Duke received scores above the national average for nearly all of its teams according to the initial academic progress rates released by the NCAA Monday.
The report evaluates the retention and academic progress of varsity athletes, and beginning in Fall 2006 teams which fall below cut lines will lose a percentage of their scholarships. If the sanctions were to begin immediately, none of Duke’s programs would face penalties, although the baseball team is bordering on the 925 threshold.
“The numbers just validated what we think is what we’ve been doing all along, which is a good job academically,” Brad Berndt, assistant director of athletics for academic services said. “Our students are graduating, and they’re being retained from year to year and that’s what the numbers reflect.”
Duke’s overall academic progress rate of 984 far exceeded the national average for all schools (948) and private institutions (965). The University also surpassed the average for the nation’s three worst scoring sports—baseball, men’s basketball and football.
According to the most recent data, 94 percent of Duke student-athletes graduate—the same percentage as the general student body.
“We weren’t surprised,” said Chris Kennedy, senior associate athletic director. “The only thing we’re looking at a little bit was the baseball program. Last year was an unusual year in that several people transferred.”
Duke received a score of 926 in baseball, which reflected the four transfers, each of whom left in good academic standing, Kennedy said.
Head baseball coach Bill Hillier attributed his teams’ mediocre score to players leaving for the Major League Baseball draft following their junior year and the one-time transfer rule. For baseball, unlike basketball and football, the NCAA does not require student-athletes to sit out one year if they decide to transfer to another institution.
“It’s kind of a catch-22,” Hillier said. “We’re a sport that you kind of hope you’ve got to worry about it because that means you have good enough players that are getting enough money in the draft.”
Berndt said the fall semester’s data has already been compiled and indicated the baseball figures looked “very, very good.”
The new regulations are part of the academic reform package approved by the NCAA April 29.
“For the first time, the NCAA is holding teams and institutions accountable for the academic progress and success of their student-athletes,” NCAA President Myles Brand said in a statement Monday. “The goal of the academic reform package is to reinforce good behavior. The new reforms are tough but fair.”
The formula rewards teams for retaining their students and keeping their athletes in good academic standing. An APR score of 925 is equivalent to a 50 percent graduation rate.
According to this preliminary report, 410 teams nationally are at risk of facing sanctions, but schools have the next six months to attempt to correct their academic difficulties. More than half of the nation’s schools have at least one team that would lose scholarships if penalties were based on this one-year snapshot.
If programs fall below the cut line, the NCAA can prevent a coach from awarding up to 10 percent of his scholarships. Penalties will be assessed yearly as new data is released.
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