Academic Progress Rate
- Thread starter oldhorn2
- Start date
I could be wrong about this but I think in the case of Coach Strong and his recruits it will be a few more years before we see how good his APR is. I think he has to have a couple of recruiting classes.
I think it takes some time for those guys to cycle out of the equation. Not sure how long it takes, but it's not instantaneous.
It takes time to improve it. For all of Mack's talk about "recruiting good kids who graduate," the football program's academic performance was dismal under his watch, thanks to his incompetent crony Brian Davis. At one point, we were six APR points away from losing bowl eligibility.
Texas posted its highest one-year APR in program history last year (958), which resulted in the program's highest-ever four-year average as well. It's getting better, but we still have to cycle out Mack's 936 and 937 scores.
I can't imagine being a full-time athlete, trying to work on a degree from one of the most competitive schools in the country, and having all the distractions of Austin TX to deal with. I had trouble as a full-time student with nothing taking up my time but school.
It will negatively affect the APR some, if they did not graduate before transferring.
For instance, 15 players either transferring (without graduating) or quitting would result in a loss of 56 APR points (out of 1000) in a single year.
It is important to keep in mind that Texas' current APR score is based on the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years. Strong was only at Texas for one of those 8 semesters.
Louisville's APR score is 977 (including a 1000 in the year UofL won the Sugar Bowl) so you can see that Strong did a great job in this area at Louisville.
After cleaning house and "changing the culture" the Texas APR has to be in the tank. Unfortunately, it will remain poor for approximately 4 years, or the time it should take a freshman to matriculate and then graduate. Hopefully, Charlie Strong (or the UT Athletic Dept) has a plan to track and help your new recruits thru to graduation -- otherwise they should have chosen a craft for their life's work.
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and, Go Cats !!
.02
and, Go Cats !!
Ziggy -- "...quit us(you)..." never, after my Cats and the Buckeyes, the Horns are my favorite team.
Hey, again, just the facts --this APR thing is a big deal and will continue to gain in importance. A little prediction while I'm at it -- Recruited kids but even more so kids who are on a team need to have their ability to complete their education protected from coaches who wholesale start cutting them. The NCAA will eventually move in to protect kids from being "cut" "shoved out the door" by requiring schools like Texas to move these kids from football rides to academic schollies. IMO, a kid recruited by Texas, who matriculates but is then shoved off the team should be financially supported until the class he matriculated with graduates. I suspect most of the kids cut from football teams don't have the out of pocket monies to complete their educations -- what happens to them ? Bottomline -- if you recruit 'em and they come -- you are responsible for giving them a decent shot at graduation whether they can play at your football level or not.
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and, Go Cats !! and, Hook 'em for the Wife !!
What happens to them? Same think that happens to the rest of the people that don't have athletic talent. They either pay their own way, take out loans, or don't go to school. There is no injustice being done by taking away a scholarship.
Seems a reasonable thing, if they dont count against football scholarship numbers and if the reason they were cut is simply lack of talent, but not off-field issues (being charged with a crime), compliance with training regimen (missing workouts/practice or failing to control weight) or academic problems (failing classes). I don't have an argument with using this metric for post-season bowls for 5-7 teams, although it should be announced well in advance and not implemented at the 11th hour as we saw this year.
Hook 'em
Bubba -- I've heard that argument before -- it's used regularly by coaches and teams in the SEC. The problem as I see it is that Texas is first and foremost an academic institution -- its' mission is to generate and transmit knowledge -- football is a sidelight activity -- fun but football could all go away and UT would remain unchanged in its' purpose. A young man recruited to play football at Texas is a student first and if he isn't he will flunk out -- gone to the football team. What we have these days are players/students -- they must answer first to the football coach and second, if at all, to the professor. If they don't answer first to the coach, they lose their funding to complete their education -- this should not be the case. I believe the institution (in this case UT) has a responsibility to protect young people who have been invited by coaches to play on a football team. Judging football talent is something a coach should be held responsible for -- the kid has a much tougher row to hoe -- blocking, tackling and yep -- calculus !!
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and, Go Cats !! and, Hook 'em for the Wife !
I'm not against it. If schools want to go that route fine, but I just don't think it's some kind of injustice. No one is kicking them out of school, they have the same opportunities to get loans and pay their way just like the rest of the student body.
Football players aren't the only poor people on campus, and a poor football player that isn't good enough to keep a football scholarship is no different than every other poor student.
Not sure why an SEC coach or any coach would use that argument? The cost of a scholarship doesn't come from their salary, so I don't see why they would be against the school keeping them on as an academic scholarship. If anything they would be for it. Then the could cut as many as they please without any negative recourse.
My argument is that the negative recourse is hypocritical.
Bubba -- My point is that when a young man is recruited it should/must be for 4 years, not for year one and then we will see if we can't recruit someone at your position that we want more than you. You are shown the door with monies cut off. The B1G is now pretty uniform in using the 4 year model that I endorse. My thinking on bring up the SEC was simply that I have always thought that the University of Texas subscribed to a higher standard than SEC schools -- they certainly do in the academic world. I understand where you are coming from, I just think athletes should be protected somewhat from coaching changes, results of recruitment etc. Hypocritical, naw ---not judging it -- different model.
.02
and, Go Cats !! and, Hook 'em for the wife !
It looks like the ratings of most schools are fairly close... I imagine it's a metric to catch some problem schools and try to get them in trouble enough to make them fix it. Otherwise, the idea of giving a bowl based on academic merit is just a way for the NCAA to blow it's horn and seem like they care about academics. Pretty much a farce, but glad these schools get to benefit from it.
That's fine, and I wouldn't argue against it. I do believe it's hypocritical somehow the public has attached itself to the plight of the football player as opposed to any other member of the student body or even student-athlete body that operates under the same rules. Guess what happens to academic scholarship student who doesn't make the grades, their funding is cut off. Guess what happens to a student that works a ton of hours to pay for his school, but his work suffers because he can't balance both? He loses his job.
But if you want to cherry pick a specific group and improve their situation, that's fine, it's better than nothing I suppose, but there is no injustice being done that isn't being done to others on a regular basis.
But if you want to cherry pick a specific group and improve their situation, that's fine, it's better than nothing I suppose, but there is no injustice being done that isn't being done to others on a regular basis.
Bubba -- Would you agree that it is "ok" for a recruited football player to maintain his ride $$ for 4 years in the circumstance where he never was a starter but was let's say on the 3 deep roster. He came to practice regularly participating most years on the "scout team" ?? Also, he kept his nose clean on campus and off.
.02
and, Go Cats !! and, Hook 'em for the Wife !
I'm hoping that the NCAA is going to do more than just blow their horn about the importance of graduating student/athletes. APR use in filling bowls should be just a beginning. !!
.02
and, Go Cats !! and, Hook 'em for the Wife !!
