Four Mid-American Conference football teams received honorable mention
status for academic achievement by the American Football Coaches
Association. Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Marshall
earned recognition for outstanding graduation rates.
Syracuse won the AFCA Academic Achievement Award, presented annually by
the Touchdown Club of Memphis, and 22 other NCAA Division I-A members
besides the four MAC schools received honorable mention status for
having graduation rates of 70 percent or better. Those institutions
include Baylor, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Hawaii, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre
Dame, Purdue, Rice, South Carolina, Southern California, Southern
Methodist, Tulane, Tulsa, Virginia, Wake Forest, Wisconsin.
"We're proud of the academic and athletic achievements of the
student-athletes from these outstanding MAC programs," said MAC
Commissioner Rick Chryst. "This is the second consecutive year since
I've been here that these institutions have been so honored, and I
congratulate them."
The overall graduation rate of the 97 institutions participating in the
survey was 57 percent, up from 56 percent a year ago. The median
graduation rate was 58 percent, the same as the previous two years. The
survey involved the freshman class from the academic year of 1994-95 who
received athletically-related financial aid as a member of the
institution's football squad. Of those student-athletes who completed
four years of eligibility, 71.8 percent have graduated and another 8.3
percent are currently enrolled and working toward a degree.
The 2000 AFCA Academic Achievement Award will be presented to Syracuse
at the AFCA Kickoff Luncheon during the Association's 2001 convention in
Atlanta, Ga.