Nov. 29, 2011
WACO, Texas - The Baylor football program was among 46 recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for its academic achievement Tuesday. The Bears are joined by Texas Tech as the only Big 12 Conference teams to be honored.
The institutions were recognized for graduating 75 percent or more of their football student-athletes. The Touchdown Club of Memphis honored Boise State and Miami (Ohio) with the Academic Achievement Award for recording 100 percent graduation rates for members of its freshman football student-athlete class of 2004.
This marks the 10th time the Baylor football program has been recognized by the AFCA and the first time since 2008. Baylor was also honored in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The Academic Achievement Award was established by the College Football Association in 1981. The award recognized the CFA-member Football Bowl Subdivision institution with the highest graduation rate among members of its football team. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA stepped in to present the award and conduct a graduation rate survey that encompassed all members of the FBS.
This year's award marks the fourth time the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) €ˆformula has been used to select the winner. From 1981 to 2007, the award was presented based on a formula used by the College Football Association and AFCA. Since 2008, the criteria for the AFCA's Academic Achievement Award is based on the highest NCAA GSR, at least 15 students in the GSR Cohort, and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better.
The GSR is based on a six-year graduation window for student-athletes which is a change from the five-year window used by the CFA €ˆand AFCA. The GSR was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees.
Under GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are passed to the receiving institution's GSR cohort. By counting incoming transfer students and midyear enrollees, the GSR increases the total number of student-athletes tracked for graduation by more than 37 percent.
No. 17 Baylor (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) closes out the regular season by hosting No. 22 Texas (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears are 6-0 at home this season and are looking for their first 9-win season since 1986. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mygreenandgold.com/football/, by calling 254-710-1000 or at the Baylor Athletic Ticket Office at the Ferrell Center.
