HIGHLIGHTS:
• Four GS teams post or tie highest multi-year scores ever
• Three sports had the highest multi-year scores in the Sun Belt in their respective sports
• Seven GS sports finished with perfect scores of 1,000 for the 2017-18 academic year
• Nine Georgia Southern programs recorded the same or a better score for the 2017-18 academic year than their multi-year APR score

STATESBORO – The NCAA released the data from its Academic Progress Rate (APR) program on Wednesday, and four Georgia Southern programs posted or tied their highest multi-year scores since the NCAA started using this metric to assess academic performances for each school in each sport. All 17 GS athletic programs made passing grades, as well.

"APR is one of our key performance indicators of academic success and retainment of student-athletes," Kleinlein said. "Both are key to achieving the ultimate goal for our student-athletes which is graduation. I am very pleased with the work our student-athletes, coaches and academic staff put in each year to achieve those results."

The APR is a scorecard that tracks classroom performance of Division I sports teams, and it takes into account eligibility and retention of student-athletes over a four-year period. It measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason, and programs also can face penalties for continued low academic performance. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on annual scores from the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.

Earning their highest multi-year score in the department were: baseball (972), men's golf (1,000), men's basketball (981) and women's cross country (1000 - tied).

The GS men's golf, women's basketball and women's cross country programs recorded multi-year APRs that ranked first or tied for first in the Sun Belt in their respective sports. Men's golf and women's cross country was a recipient of the NCAA's Public Recognition Award, which was announced last week and goes to programs with a multi-year APR in the top 10 percent nationally of all squads in each sport.

Nine Eagle programs increased or equaled multi-year scores from a year ago – baseball (+3), football (+17), men's golf (+7), men's basketball (+6), men's tennis (+11), women's golf (+12) and women's tennis (+10). Volleyball posted an identical score and women's cross country posted a perfect 1,000 for the second year in a row.

Seven of 17 sports GS sports finished with scores of 1,000 for the 2017-18 academic year only, which bodes well for future APR scoring. Those sports were men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's golf, women's tennis and volleyball.

In all, nine Georgia Southern programs recorded the same or a better score for the 2017-18 academic year than their multi-year APR score, which, again, bodes well for future APR scoring. Those sports were: baseball (973/972), football (956/948), men's basketball (1000/981), men's tennis (1000/984), women's golf (1000/976), women's tennis (1000/976) and volleyball (1000/990). The GS men's golf and women's cross country program's 1,000 equaled last year's multi-year score.

For more information on the APR, please check the NCAA website at www.ncaa.org.