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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 10:05 a.m., Wednesday, May 2, 2007

UH's APR scores improve; football loses 1 scholarship

Advertiser News Services

Two University of Hawai'i women's teams received perfect scores from the NCAA in its Academic Progress Rate, while the football team also improved — but still will lose one scholarship.

The football team went from a yearly rate of 869 for the 2004-2005 academic year and a loss of five scholarships, to 914 for 2005-2006, according to a UH news release.

The football team will lose one scholarship because an ineligible student-athlete did not return to school.

Baseball, which was penalized 1.17 scholarships, improved from 846 to 914 in the same time frame, and will not lose any scholarships.

The NCAA's APR calculation measures eligibility and retention of student athletes. Teams scoring less than 900 under the formula cannot replace scholarships if an academically ineligible player then leaves school. The maximum loss is 10 percent of the team's scholarships.

Teams scoring less than 925 in this latest report received warning letters.

The UH women's volleyball and softball teams received perfect scores of 1,000 and all sports were over the 900 mark.

"We are very proud of our student-athletes and coaches in softball and women's volleyball," Hawai'i athletic director Herman Frazier said in a statement. "These scores are indicative of the effort and commitment everyone has made to help our student-athletes achieve academic success."

ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE

WHAT IS IT: The Academic Progress Rate was implemented by the NCAA to encourage academic performance and help institutions examine admissions policies, retention and graduation rates, as well as improve academic support for student-athletes.

HOW IS IT IMPLEMENTED: The NCAA tracks the APR for every Division I program to see if the student-athlete:

a) remained at the school;

b) stayed academically eligible and ultimately graduated.

HOW SCORE IS DETERMINED: Points are awarded, player by player, and the NCAA has determined that teams should hit 92.5 percent of their possible total — an APR of 925. That, the association says, projects a 50 percent graduation rate.

Example: Each semester a basketball player who remains at his school and remains eligible (or graduates) scores two of a possible two points. A player who is academically eligible but transfers or leaves early to prepare for the NBA draft accrues one point. An ineligible player who leaves is, in the NCAA's vernacular, 0 for 2.

A men's basketball team offering the full complement of 13 scholarships could accumulate a maximum of 52 points (13 x 2 points x 2 semesters) each year. Losing four players in good academic standing to the NBA would lower the school's APR to 923 (92.3 percent, 48 of 52 points).

PENALTIES: Programs flagged as deficient will be barred from replacing a scholarship player who leaves while academically ineligible. Teams with chronically poor academic track records ultimately could be shut out of such postseason showcases as football bowls and the NCAA basketball tournament.

HOW MUCH IS A SCHOLARSHIP: At the University of Hawai'i, an in-state scholarship is worth about $11,700 ($11,684.65 previously). An out-of-state scholarship is worth more than $18,000 ($18,164.65 previously).

Source: USA Today and UH