Truth & Rumors > NCAAF

NCAA's top academic programs

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The next time the debate rages about whether successful big-time football can co-exist with academics, Rutgers may be held up as Exhibit A. The NCAA, releasing its first four-year cycle on the Academic Progress Rate this week, cited Rutgers for being one of only six major college football teams to rank among the APR's top 10 percent all four years. Rutgers, Stanford, Rice, Duke, Navy and Air Force were the six Football Bowl Subdivision programs (out of the 119) to earn the distinction of being in the top 10 percent every year since 2004.

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Greg Schiano, Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Greg Schiano, Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
April 28, 2008  09:07 AM ET

Curious to know how Rutgers football players who take the wonderlic test do?

April 28, 2008  09:40 AM ET

Haha, funny to hear that from a Michigan fan. Manningham can barely read it seems.

April 28, 2008  09:52 AM ET

I want my athletes to be ATHLETES.
I could care less about academics, grades, whether they graduate or not.....

If they want to go to school to get an education - GREAT-
BUT they are there to play ball to try and get to the professional level

April 28, 2008  10:00 AM ET

If someone goes to college, they should go to college to LEARN and to play football especially since they are getting a free education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

April 28, 2008  10:12 AM ET

Jgb. its ignorant people and ignorant comments just like that, which hurts this country its kids and its education. These kids have it easy enough if they so choose. Education is key and their talent is their payment. Take the best education you can get. Dont you understand the number of scholarships that are given in the ncaa and the number of draft picks in the nfl or any other sport... but soeone like you im sure doesnt have the education or the iq to understand those big numbers... lets stick with 1+1=? take ure time... its a hard one.

April 28, 2008  10:40 AM ET

if the NCAA eliminated sports scholarships unless and until all athletes who receive them commit to four years and graduation, then academic progess would increase dramatically; otherwise, this whole academic consideration is so bogus as to be laughable. playing sports in college is now only about $$$, not education.

April 28, 2008  10:51 AM ET

They have only been good the past two seasons. Lets see how long this lasts. I highly doubt they can continue to accomplish both.

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April 28, 2008  12:28 PM ET

What? LSU is not on the list.... I'm truly shocked!

April 28, 2008  12:50 PM ET

Yes, that is Rutgers on the list. It's nice to see all of the hard work that the administration at RU puts in paying off. It's not just the kids on the bench, but Brian Leonard and Jeremy Zuttah. Leonard won the Academic Heisman last year. It will be tough to keep up, but they have the structure in place to ensure that they don't lose players to grades like they had in the late 90s.

April 28, 2008  01:34 PM ET

Sir Robin, there are a lot worse programs than LSU. Rudy Niswanger won the Academic Heisman the year before, and Jarvis Green interns in his offseasons at NASA, among others Very well done by Rutgers though..

To JGB, you must not have gone to college. Otherwise, you would realize that when your school's athletes make a mockery of the academic standards, it hurt the reputation and integrity of your degree...and therefore hurts you. When one of them scores a TD though, it really doesn't help you. It only helps him. Nobody is any likelier to hire you because you went to great football school.

April 28, 2008  02:23 PM ET

Bully for Rutgers.

April 28, 2008  02:42 PM ET

Very enlightening !!!

April 28, 2008  02:45 PM ET

thatcher -- right on! perhaps FSU lags behind LSU ... I have always wondered how my univesity's sports programs help me out so long after I graduated. Never once has an employer looked at my resume and say, oh yes, your university's football program is good/bad so you're hired/not hired.

April 28, 2008  03:01 PM ET

Governor,

Like many on message boards, you completely misinterpreted my comment as it wasn't ripping on Rutgers' players at all. I am asking a serious question.

And yes, Manningham is not the brightest one out there as his brain dead actions cost him dearly in the draft.

April 28, 2008  04:26 PM ET

You mean University of Miami isn't on the list? I'm shocked,truly shocked.

April 28, 2008  04:39 PM ET

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, thanks chinese bookie for your almost verbatim copy of my post (with the slight revision to the school mentioned). Copy / Paste isn't the way this site works.

April 28, 2008  07:46 PM ET

Illinois is pretty good with their athletes academically
Rashard Mendenhall had a B+ average at Illinois, a damn good school. Most teams have guys with 2.2 GPAs.

April 28, 2008  09:39 PM ET

look. here are the dynamics of how NCAA football works:
(1) the NFL gets a free minor league.
(2) the schools make fortunes.
(3) the athletes..... what do the athletes get? well 2 things:
(3.1) the chance to play in the NFL, which is the real pay-off they want. but we can't talk about this. they are "student / athletes", right?
(3.2) a free education... well. .that squares the circle and makes the system look win-win-win for everyone, right? but, when you practice 11 months a year, the only realistic majors are English, Political Science, History, etc. and these majors don't really prepare you for life in the working world.

 
April 28, 2008  09:43 PM ET

as left unstated previously. to even say that academics is related to NCAA football is just plain stupid.
beating the dead horse, we all know academics and ncaa football athletes have no relationship.
the "pay-off" of the free education is just to make the system win-win-win.
and its not.

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