UC among top bowl-bound football teams for academic performance

The University of Cincinnati is the top bowl-bound football team in the state for academic performance, according to a recently released report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at (the University of Central Florida.

Moreover, UC also boasts the top APR of the seven American Athletic Conference teams playing in a bowl game this year.

Importantly, UC’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990 ties that of University of Alabama (UC’s opponent in the Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl) and tops the academic performance of both the University of Michigan (980) and the University of Georgia (969), who will face off in Dec. 31 Orange Bowl.

Of the 86 bowl-bound teams nationally, UC is tied at No. 4 (tied with the University of Alabama and Wake Forest) for overall APR at 990. Only the University of Mississippi (997), the U.S. Air Force Academy (995) and Clemson University (993) score higher than UC in academic performance. The average APR among bowl-bound teams is 968.

Implemented in 2003 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, APR is calculated based on the retention and academic standing of scholarship-sponsored college-athletes.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport is based in UCF’s College of Business and is part of the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program.

"Our student-athletes continue to step up and meet their own educational goals," stated executive senior associate athletics director for Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) Joe Luckey. "Moreover, the culture of academic excellence has been clearly defined by our coaching staffs, and our university-wide faculty and staff consistently demonstrate the highest dedication and commitment to students’ academic and scholarly success.”

• UC’s bowl-bound Bearcats have also set a school record and lead the nation with six players named to the Academic All-District First Team. The 2020-21 Academic All-District Football Teams recognizes the nation’s top student athletes for their combined performance on the field and in the classroom. Honorees must have at least a 3.3 grade point average (GPA) and be a major contributor to team play on the field.
  
  
• In UC’s Dec. 10 winter commencement ceremonies, 36 student-athletes earned bachelor's or master's degrees. Twenty-two of those earning degrees in December were members of the football team, earning degrees ranging from accounting to mechanical engineering to marketing.

Featured image at top: Alec Pierce balances the rigors of football and engineering. Photo/UC Athletic Communications.