Oct. 3, 2007

LEWISBURG, Pa. - With a focus on student-athlete graduation rates at the sport level, the NCAA announced preliminary Graduation Success Rate data along with U.S. Department of Education graduation rate data on Wednesday, and once again Bucknell fared extremely well in the findings of the two agencies. Sixteen Bucknell varsity programs, including men's basketball, boasted perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rates (GSR), factoring student-athletes who entered school between the 1997-98 and 2000-01 academic years.

Of Bucknell's 23 varsity sports considered in the study (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field are combined, for GSR purposes), 20 had a GSR of 90 percent or better.

Focusing on sports specifically emphasized by the NCAA, Bucknell's men's basketball, baseball, volleyball and women's soccer programs maintained their 100 GSRs, while the football (91) and women's basketball (94) programs were both over 90 percent. The national averages for those sports are 61 percent in men's basketball, 66 percent in baseball, 65 percent for Championship Subdivision football, 81 percent for women's basketball, 88 percent for volleyball and 89 percent for women's soccer.

Other Bison men's programs with 100 percent GSR figures were golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and water polo. Other women's programs at 100 percent were rowing, golf, lacrosse, softball, swimming, tennis and water polo.

Based on the federal graduation rate data, 12 Bison programs boasted rates of 100 percent and 16 were at 90 percent or better.

The NCAA's GSR report differs in formula from the federal data in that it factors in students who transfer into or out of an institution while in good academic standing.

While Wednesday's announcement primarily focused on academic performance at the team level, the NCAA will follow with another release on Oct. 30 that will highlight GSR performance at the institutional level, as well as breakdowns by gender and ethnicity.

Bucknell has led the nation in graduation rates numerous times, including in 2003, when it received a USA Today-NCAA Academic Achievement Award with a perfect 100 percent figure.

Bucknell sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports, including 14 for women, at the Division I level. It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 13 of the 17 years it has been contested, including 2006-07. Bucknell ranks fifth in Division I in producing Academic All-Americans.