COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In the most recent Academic Progress Rate data released by the NCAA, nine Mountain West sports met or exceeded their respective NCAA Division I averages, and 33 league teams achieved perfect multiyear scores. Thirty-seven MW squads garnered Public Recognition Awards for earning multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of their sports across Division I.
The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years.
Implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the APR holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.
All 11 of the MW’s full members had at least one program earn a perfect score of 1,000 for the four-year cohort. New Mexico led the way with six total (men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer and men’s track and field), followed by Wyoming with five (men’s golf, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball). Boise State (men’s tennis, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball), Colorado State (women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s swimming and diving and women’s tennis) and Utah State (men’s golf, softball, women’s cross country and women’s tennis) had four each. CSU and Wyoming paced the league with four women’s programs earning perfect scores apiece.
Women’s tennis led the MW with eight perfect scores (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, San José State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming), while MW women’s golf saw six programs (Colorado State, Fresno State, New Mexico, San Diego State, San José State and UNLV) achieve the mark. Women’s basketball (Colorado State, San Diego State and Wyoming), women’s cross country (New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming) and men’s golf (New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming) had three apiece post perfect scores.
The Conference’s women’s golf programs combined to average a score of 997 to pace the league. The averages of the MW’s men’s and women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field programs met or exceeded the DI average.
Ninety-five MW programs met or exceeded the DI averages for their respective sports, with 61 women’s teams and 34 men’s teams doing so.
For 2023-24 alone, 80 MW programs posted perfect scores, led by New Mexico with 10 and followed by Colorado State and Utah State with nine each.
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