Student Athletes: The Struggle Off The Field

July 21st, 2011 by Ryan Windeyer |

The NCAA is pointing the finger at these schools for failing to make the grade when it comes to academics. More than 65 Division 1 schools were recently penalized for failing to reach the NCAAs magic number of 925 (out of 1,000) in the academic progress ratings, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Here are the colleges with the greatest number of teams that didnt cut it:

  • Prairie View A & M University (11 teams)
  • Southern University at Baton Rouge (11)
  • Chicago State University (10)
  • Texas Southern University (10)
  • Florida A & M University (9)
  • University of Louisiana at Monroe (9)
  • University of South Carolina Upstate (9)
  • California State University at Bakersfield (8)
  • Howard University (8)
  • Southeastern Louisiana University (8)
  • Norfolk State University (7)

And if youre wondering whether these are mens or womens teams, mens teams comprise 72% of teams that scored below 925. Womens teams made up the remaining 28%.

As for which specific sport scored the lowest that would be mens basketball, which takes up 29% of the pie. Throw in football at 22%, and those two sports comprise more than half the penalized teams.

But its not all gloom and doom.

The number of penalized teams is at its lowest in six years:

  • 112 teams in 2005-6
  • 221 in 2006-7
  • 177 in 2007-8
  • 137 in 2008-9
  • 103 in 2009-10

The significance of receiving a penalty is that the NCAA reduces scholarships for a given team. In the case of eight teams with particularly low scores, a one-year restriction on postseason competition was handed out.

This report offers a lot of food for thought.

For one thing: Does the punishment fit the crime?

And what about the possibility that the schools on the list have fewer resources and so would have a tougher time helping student athletes cut it academically?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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