MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association has released its annual Academic Progress Report and some of Tennessee’s largest universities have fallen below the national average.
The NCAA launched the report 10 years ago in response to charges that too many student athletes were failing to graduate. The APR tracks the eligibility, retention and graduation rates for each school in the association.
Vanderbilt University had one of the mid-state’s highest scores, racking up 993 points out of a possible 1000. Middle Tennessee State also did well with a score of 984 points.
MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro says his department spends a lot of time on academic progress, but believes it’s definitely worth the effort.
“If we show that we care about what happens to them post-graduation - what happens to them off the fields and courts - then we get more out of them academically and athletically.”
Some of Tennessee’s other major universities didn’t fare quite as well on this year’s APR. The University of Tennessee and Tennessee State both scored below the national average, which currently stands at 974 points out of 1000.
You can review the complete reportonline.