May 6, 2008

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The strength of Furman University's athletics program and the overall academic performance of the school's 325 student-athletes were confirmed again Tuesday with the release of NCAA multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) data.

Six of Furman's 18 sports earned public recognition awards by recording APR scores that ranked among the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports, and five more ranked in the top 20 percent. Four others posted APR scores that placed among the best 30 percent nationally.

The six Furman teams that ranked in the top 10 percent nationally were the most by any South Carolina Division I institution, as were the 15 Paladin squads that were ranked among the top 30 percent.

An academic version of an RPI that rewards eligibility, retention and graduation, and penalizes academically under-performing teams, the APR, developed by the NCAA's Committee on Academic Performance as part the organization's move toward academic reform, offers a real-time snapshot of every team's academic performance at a given time.

The six Furman teams cited for public recognition awards and their APR scores include men's golf (1000), women's indoor track & field (996), women's outdoor track & field (996), men's outdoor track & field (994), women's basketball (994), and football (983).

Furman sports earning ranks in 80th and 90th percentile within their respective sports include women's cross country (994), men's cross country (990), baseball (973), men's basketball (972), and women's tennis (992).

Fifteen of Furman's 17 sports registered APR scores above the national averages for private Division I institutions, and 16 Paladin squads topped the average score for all Division schools.