Texas Tech University Athletics
Football Grad Rates among Nation's Best - Again
May 23, 2006 | Football
May 23, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech's football program boasted an 80 percent graduation rate for the 2000-01 freshman class, marking the sixth-consecutive year the program has been recognized by the American Football Coaches Association.
With the AFCA standard graduation rate at 70 percent, Texas Tech was one of four Big 12 Conference football programs acknowledged by the organization - Baylor, Iowa State and Nebraska are the other three.
"We are obviously proud of all of our graduates within the athletics department," John Anderson, Associate Athletic Director for Student Services, said. "To be recognized by the American Football Coaches Association is not only a credit to our football student-athletes, it also is a credit to my staff, our coaches and the university faculty and staff. It takes a team effort to recruit, retain and to graduate our student-athletes."
The Atlantic Coast Conference led the country with nine schools above 70 percent, while the Big East and Big 12 had four each. The Big Ten and Conference USA were represented by three each, while the Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, Southeastern and Sun Belt conferences each were represented by one institution. Notre Dame was the lone independent on the list.
SMU received the AFCA's 2006 Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis to programs who graduate 100 percent of a freshman class.
The overall graduation rate of the 104 I-A schools that responded to the AFCA survey was 58 percent, equaling last year's mark. Fifty of the members responding were above the average and 54 below. The median graduation rate was 57 percent, compared to 57 percent last year and 60 percent the year prior.
The study involves the freshman class from the academic year of 2000-01, including those who entered at that time but who did not receive financial aid until after their initial year, or who transferred from another institution and subsequently received a grant-in-aid.
Program's Boasting Grad Rates of 70% or Higher (AFCA) Auburn Baylor Boston College California Cincinnati Clemson Colorado State Duke Florida State Iowa Iowa State Maryland Miami (Ohio) Nebraska North Carolina Northwestern Notre Dame Penn State Rice Rutgers SMU Southern Mississippi Syracuse Texas Tech Troy Virginia Virginia Tech Wake Forest West Virginia
