WORCESTER, Mass. — Seventeen of Holy Cross' athletic teams have achieved a perfect score of 1,000 in the NCAA's academic performance standard, the Academic Progress Rate (APR). These 17 teams all had a perfect multi-year APR score (based on data from the 2020-2021 through 2023-2024 school years), which tied Holy Cross for third in the nation out of 362 Division I schools.
"We celebrate another tremendous NCAA Academic Progress Rate with our whole community that supports our student-athletes — faculty, coaches, staff, administration and beyond," said Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Rose Shea. "This year's results show the consistent commitment at Holy Cross to supporting the student-athlete model at an elite level."
"The success of our student-athletes is a powerful reflection of their intelligence, discipline and focus," added Faculty Athletics Representative Sarah Petty. "Balancing rigorous academic demands with the intensity of Division I athletics is no small feat; our Academic Progress Rate shows just how committed they are to excellence in all areas of their lives. We take great pride in not only their individual achievements, but also the strong community of faculty and staff at Holy Cross who educate, encourage and support them throughout their journey."
The APR uses a series of formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performance of all participants on teams at every Division I college and university. This year's national average for all Division I institutions was 984.
The Crusader programs to post perfect multi-year APR scores were baseball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's golf, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, softball, men's swimming and diving, women's swimming and diving, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, and women's outdoor track and field.
This is the fourth consecutive year of publicly reported APRs after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Division I board approved the release of APR scores but voted to continue the suspension of program penalties. Normal Academic Performance Program operations with program penalties and loss of access to postseason competition were originally scheduled to resume in spring 2024, but the Division I Committee on Academics decided not to enforce the loss of access to postseason competition for teams that scored lower than 930 last year, instead offering a conditional waiver due to lingering impacts of the pandemic. However, normal operations are being enforced this year for teams scoring below the 930 benchmark, with strategic penalties that encourage an emphasis and prioritization on academics.
Holy Cross' Academic Progress Rate Report in PDF format
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow all things Crusader Athletics on social media!
X - @goholycross
Instagram - @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross
