Nine earn NCAA Public Recognition Awards

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University student-athletes continue to prove they have what it takes to shine both in competition and inside the classroom, as nine varsity programs received public recognition from the NCAA for their academic success following the release of the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) data.

The nine Bulldog programs to receive Public Recognition Awards were men’s cross country, men’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball and men’s basketball. Bryant’s nine APR honorees were the most in the Northeast Conference, while the Bulldogs were one of just 39 men’s basketball programs to be recognized.

Of the Bulldogs’ 22 teams, 19 came in at or above the national four-year APR average for their sport, a number which includes all 11 women’s sports. Seven NCAA Public Recognition honorees – men’s cross country, men’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and volleyball – posting a perfect multiyear APR score of 1000, while men’s soccer and men’s basketball earned their Public Recognition Awards with scores of 993 and 990, respectively.

To receive public recognition from the NCAA, teams must rank in the top 10 percent of their sport. The most recent data covers academic years from 2010-11 through 2013-14. The 1,124 teams publicly recognized for high achievement represent 696 women's teams and 428 men's or mixed squads, the highest ever in the decade since the NCAA began the Public Recognition Awards program. Out of the Northeast Conference, 32 teams earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards, with Bryant’s nine good for most in the league.

Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship.  The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport.

Bryant University’s NCAA Public Recognition Award Winners
Sport (Multi-Year APR)
Men’s Basketball (990)
Men's Cross Country (1000)
Men’s Soccer (993)
Men’s Indoor Track & Field (1000)
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field (1000)
Women’s Soccer (1000)
Women’s Tennis (1000)
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field (1000)
Women’s Volleyball (1000)