12 programs post perfect single-year APR marks; 11 programs post over a 990 multi-year mark

TAMPA, MAY 20, 2026 – University of South Florida Athletics continues to set new standards for academic achievement, as 11 of 17 NCAA-rated programs posted multi-year scores above 990 in the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) data the NCAA released through the 2024-25 academic year.

USF recorded a program-best seven teams with perfect multi-year APR scores and had 12 teams earn perfect single-year APR marks.

"USF student-athletes continue to make us proud with their accomplishments in the classroom as they pursue their academic goals and future aspirations," CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins said. "The student-athlete experience at USF is second to none, and I am very proud of the leaders and staff of our academic services and our coaches who support our student-athletes and prioritize our academic mission."

Men's golf, men's cross country and men's tennis joined women's basketball, women's golf, women's tennis and lacrosse in posting perfect multi-year APR scores of 1,000. In addition, men's track and field earned a program-record score of 982 as it seeks a sixth straight conference championship this weekend at the American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Women's golf extended its remarkable streak with a 12th consecutive perfect APR score and its 15th overall. Women's tennis posted its fifth straight perfect score and 12th overall, while men's tennis earned its eighth perfect score. Men's cross country recorded its seventh perfect score, men's golf its fifth and women's basketball its third. Women's lacrosse, which won a regular season conference title this year, achieved the first perfect APR score in program history during its inaugural season of eligibility.

Programs earning perfect single-year APR scores for the 2024-25 academic period included men's basketball – which also won regular season and conference tournament titles, men's cross country, men's golf, men's soccer, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, lacrosse, women's soccer, women's tennis and volleyball.

Meanwhile, the softball program, led by head coach Ken Eriksen and coming off American Conference regular-season and tournament championships, continued its longstanding academic excellence with a 992 multi-year APR score. The program has maintained a score of 990 or higher in every NCAA APR report since the metric was introduced in 2004-05.

The Bulls also celebrated 84 student-athletes graduating this spring.

Academic Progress Rate
The 2024-25 APR report features a four-year compilation of data from the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 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.

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 the 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.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, competed in its 60^thseason in 2025-26.
 
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 160 conference titles across 18 sports, with 85 men's championships and 75 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, USF has secured 42 conference team titles.
 
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 21 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above as of spring 2025. Since 2015, more than 800 Bulls have earned their degrees.
 
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