Nicholls’ student-athletes are proving to not only be stand-outs on the field or court; they are also excelling in the classroom, according to a recent National Collegiate Athletic Association report on the academic progress rates of more than 6,000 Division I teams. In regard to the progress rates, Nicholls’ teams were among the majority of Division I organizations that received no sanctions and was the only institution in the Southland Conference to receive no penalties.

“We are delighted our teams continue to improve academically,” Rob Bernardi, athletics director, said. “Our escalating APR scores are a clear indication of our progress.”

The APR was established by the NCAA several years ago as part of an academic reform package – the goal of which is to improve classroom performance and to graduate student-athletes by concentrating on athlete retention and eligibility.

Each academic year all Division I sports teams calculate their APRs based on the eligibility, retention and graduation of each scholarship-holding student athlete.

An APR of 925 translates to an NCAA graduation success rate of approximately 60 percent. Teams that score below 925 can lose up to 10 percent of their scholarships.

Penalties become more severe each year a team fails to achieve NCAA established benchmarks.

University President Stephen Hulbert said the NCAA report “is a positive sign for us in terms of the overall academic performance of our student-athletes. It is another positive step towards the continued improvement of the academic quality of Nicholls students.