TAMPA, MAY 23, 2018 – University of South Florida Athletics saw all 16 of its evaluated programs post a score of 952 or better for the third straight year when the NCAA released its most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) data Wednesday.

All of USF's evaluated programs exceeded the NCAA's minimum APR standard score of 930. The women's golf program posted a perfect score of 1,000 for the fifth-straight report and was honored by the NCAA last week with Public Recognition Awards. USF teams have received a total to 19 such honors in the last seven reports.

All nine USF women's teams earned an APR score of 971 or higher, with softball, women's golf, women's tennis and women's soccer posting scores of 990 or better. The American Athletic Conference champion women's soccer program led by head coach Denise Schilte-Brown posted a record multi-year APR score for the second straight year with a mark of 992. Meanwhile, the regular season conference champion softball program led by head coach Ken Eriksen continued a perfect streak of a 990 or better score in all 13 reports since APR reporting began.

On the men's side, the baseball program led by first-year head coach Billy Mohl posted a record multi-year APR score for the second straight year, checking in with a mark of 982 that was a full 10 points better than last year's previous mark. The men's golf program, which recently claimed its fourth straight conference crown, and men's cross country both posted their highest APR scores since the 2005-06 reporting, checking in at 992 and 975, respectively.

USF had success in single-year APR scores for 2016-17 with four programs posting perfect 1,000 scores. Those programs included men's golf, men's tennis, women's golf and women's soccer.

"Academic success continues to be at the forefront of our mission to provide a world-class student-athlete experience at USF," USF Director of Athletics Mark Harlan said. "We are pleased that USF student-athletes are achieving in the classroom with the full support of our tremendous Academic Services staff and coaches who are committed to that mission and to providing a strong platform from which our student-athletes can achieve their academic goals."

USF saw 58 student-athletes earn their degrees during spring commencement ceremonies and a total of 75 earn degrees for the 2017-18 academic year.

The 2018 APR report features a four-year compilation of data from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years. The APR uses formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performances of all participants who receive grants-in-aid on every team at every NCAA Division I college and university. It provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester, by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete, and a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

Academic Progress Rate
The APR, or Academic Progress Rate, holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.
The APR is calculated as follows:

• Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
• A team's total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team's Academic Progress Rate.
• In addition to a team's current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.

The APR is based on four years of data, with the most current year's data added and the oldest year removed to create a four-year (multi-year) rolling rate. Penalties can be applied if an athletic team's multi-year APR score is below 930.

About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls' athletic program celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2015, having begun with a men's soccer contest in 1965. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 15 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including four in 2016-17, and own 112 conference championships overall. Ten USF programs reached national post-season competition in the 2016-17 season and nine were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a program-record 86 percent Graduation Success Rate in 2016, have logged an annual department grade-point average over a 3.0 for the six straight semesters, and saw 106 student-athletes earn their degree during the 2016-17 academic period.
 
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