RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University Department of Athletics boasted several quality rankings in the Academic Progress Rate (APR) report released today by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This multi-year report is based on data submitted by every NCAA Division I institution for the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 academic years.

Seven EKU programs – men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, softball, men’s tennis, men’s indoor track & field, and men’s outdoor track & field – exceeded the national average in the multi-year APR.

Meanwhile, the multi-year APR scores for men’s tennis (1,000) as well as men’s outdoor track & field (989) were the highest among all Division I institutions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky posted the highest multi-year APR scores in the Ohio Valley Conference for men’s cross country (983), men’s indoor track & field (981), and men’s outdoor track & field (989). Overall, 10 of EKU’s 17 sports had multi-year APR scores in the top half of the OVC.

Six programs – men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s cross country, softball, women’s tennis and volleyball received perfect scores of 1,000 on the APR for the 2010-11 academic year. The Colonel men’s tennis team, who received a coveted NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award last week, has recorded perfect scores for four straight years.

The Academic Progress Rate is a real-time measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. The goal of the NCAA’s academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but it also provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school.