CSUB student-athletes recognized for academic excellence

Several teams score high in NCAA Academic Progress Rate report

By California State University, Bakersfield

June 4^th, 2024

The National College Athletics Association (NCAA) released its full report on Academic Progress Rate (APR) this week as Division I student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom.

California State University, Bakersfield’s Roadrunners are among those who enjoyed persistent academic success, recording another solid set of results in the APR reports, indicating improvement and continued academic success.

"CSUB student-athletes understand the priority of academic performance," said Director of Athletics Kyle Conder. "The APR scores of each team and our overall department are testament to our CSUB Athletics pillar of Academic Excellence."

The findings announced on Tuesday revealed the hard work of CSUB's student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff through the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Two `Runner teams stood out as exceptional — the women’s basketball and beach volleyball programs both posted perfect (1,000) single-year and multiyear APR scores.

Twelve CSUB teams increased or maintained their single-year rates from last season, led by women's swimming & diving (+61), women’s golf (+45), softball (+38), men’s basketball (+35), baseball (+28), and women’s volleyball (+25).

Posting strong single-year scores leads to increased multiyear rates, a category in which the `Runners also excelled. Ten CSUB teams improved or maintained their multiyear score with women’s golf (+29) and men’s basketball (+19) leading the charge.

Below are other highlights of CSUB's 2024 APR success:

Women’s basketball earned a perfect multiyear score for the third year in a row and beach volleyball earned a perfect multiyear score for the eighth consecutive year
Eight of nine women’s teams earned a perfect single-year score
All women’s teams scored above 985

Conder went on to praise the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in the accomplishment.

“We are fortunate to have the support and resources of CSUB faculty — especially our Faculty Athletics Representative, Dr. Kyle Susa — and university leaders like Interim President Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr. and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Thomas Wallace. I am also very grateful to our Kegley Center for Student Success staff; their steadfast commitment to our student-athletes helps advance our vision of pursuing championships and graduating leaders."

Every Division I sports team across the nation calculates its APR each academic year, like a report card. Scholarship student-athletes earn one point each semester for maintaining academic eligibility and one point for staying in school or graduating.

Nationwide, Division I student-athletes continue to achieve classroom success at record-high levels, maintaining an overall multiyear Academic Progress Rate of 984. Since the Division I membership created the Academic Performance Program 20 years ago, more than 21,000 former student-athletes have earned APR points for their prior teams by returning to college and earning a degree after their eligibility expired.