On the field and in the classroom, Tigers excelling

Though it’s not quite the No. 1 ranking the Tigers carry on the field, LSU football players nonetheless rank high in an academic report on the 70 Football Bowl Subdivision schools that will participate in the upcoming college football bowl season. The Tigers rank eighth for Graduation Success Rate in the study, and they’re tied for 12th among all bowl teams in the Academic Progress Rate, or APR. The study, by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, notes an overall improvement of Graduation Success Rate, or GSR, from 67% to 68% among all students on the 70 bowl teams. LSU’s GSR this year is well above average at 77%. That puts the team at No. 2 among all SEC schools, trailing only Vanderbilt. Also, for the second straight year, 99% of schools in bowl games received a score higher than the target 925 on the NCAA’s four-year APR. Teams with a four-year APR of 925 or below face penalties, including loss of scholarships. LSU’s APR this year is 966, its highest score since the NCAA began compiling the data in 2003-04. Primary study author Richard Lapchick says that unlike in years past, when BCS title game teams often had less than stellar academic credentials, both of this year’s participants—LSU and Alabama—rank high, with APRs of 966 and 963, respectively. LSU graduates 77% of its players, and Alabama graduates 69% of its players.