North Dakota State Football Receives FCS Athletics Directors Association APR Award

CLEVELAND, Ohio–The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has announced the recipients of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award.  The APR Award recognizes one institution at each of the 14 FCS conferences that has the highest APR score.  In addition, the Association also recognizes one institution from each conference that has improved the most from the previous year.  In all, 29 awards will be given this year, due to a tie in the Ivy League for the highest APR score in 2010-11.

Under the direction of head coach Craig Bohl, North Dakota State led the Missouri Valley Football Conference with an APR of 981 during the 2010-11 academic year. The high-water mark for NDSU football was an APR of 983 for the 2007-08 academic year.

“Our Association is pleased to present these awards to spotlight the true mission of all FCS programs, embracing the academic progress of their student-athletes, who will become leaders in their everyday lives outside of the field,” said FCS ADA President Marilyn McNeil, vice-president/director of athletics at Monmouth University. “We are happy to continue to recognize the FCS institutions and their football programs for continuing to reach or maintain exemplary APR scores.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member colleges and universities adopted a comprehensive academic reform package designed to improve the academic success and graduation of all student-athletes.  The centerpiece of the package is the academic measurement for teams, known as the APR.   
The following institutions have been ranked in their respective conference with the highest APR score the past two years, Colonial Athletic – New Hampshire; Mid-Eastern Athletics – Norfolk State; Northeast – Monmouth; Ohio Valley – Austin Peay State; Pioneer Football League – Davidson.  Both Norfolk State and Davidson have earned this distinction three straight years.

Two institutions went from being the most improved in 2009-10, to recording the highest APR score in their conference, Cal State Sacramento (Big Sky) and Cal Poly State (Great West Football).

The following institutions will receive their awards during the FCS ADA Luncheon sponsored by UPS, on Monday, June 25 in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 19^th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 47^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 12 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.