April 27, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS-- The NCAA is honoring more than 800 Division I sports teams with public recognition awards for their latest Academic Progress Rate scores and George Mason's golf and women's tennis teams are two of the recipients. To receive this recognition, the particular program must have posted an APR rating that finished within the top 10 percent of the national average for the sport.

Women's tennis team.

These teams posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. The public recognition awards are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort.

The 839 teams receiving awards this year represent 217 Division I colleges and universities, or two-thirds of the 326 institutions that compete in NCAA Division I athletics. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 975 to a perfect 1,000, said NCAA President Myles Brand.

"These teams prove once again that student-athletes are students first, and many of them are excellent students," Brand said. "I want to personally congratulate these teams and their student-athletes who are working hard in their sport and in the classroom and setting a great example for all students."

Of the teams receiving awards for their latest academic performance are 366 men's and mixed teams and 473 women's teams. The men's sports with the highest number of teams garnering public recognition are golf (51), cross country (49) and tennis (40). The women's sports with the highest number of teams receiving awards are tennis (64), volleyball (54) and golf (52).

The public recognition awards by sport and institution can be found by Clicking Here.

Multi-year APR scores for all 6,110 Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition awards, will be announced Wednesday (May 2). The announcement also will include immediate and historical penalties for low-performing teams.