NCAA Hides Behind Statistics

As the saying goes, there's lies, damn lies and statistics.

In the name of higher academic standards the NCAA board of directors decided to talk big, but in reality do nothing.

On Thursday, the NCAA decided that in order to play in the postseason, schools must have a four-year average Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 930 or better. That equates to graduating about half of the players on a given roster.

For that, the headlines will praise them. Already the Knight Commission, a college sports watchdog, commended the change.

But APR does not equate to student athletes actually graduating from college.

Of course, like all good formulas it can be manipulated.

APR is calculated by allocating points for eligibility and retention, two factors that research identifies as two indicators of graduation. Each player earns a maximum of two points per term, one for being academically eligible and one for staying with the college.

It's not hard to keep athletes academically eligible.

BYU could struggle with
the new APR rules.

Football factories, Boise State now included, have it down to a science with most freshman and sophomores studying general studies (or football). Just because a player is eligible does not mean they walk away with a degree.

APR is also weighted to help the Alabamas of collegiate sports, while it hurts some of the smaller Division I institutions.

Places like Idaho and Washington State have their APR's killed due to retention struggles. Winter's brutal on the Palouse.

Also under the new rules, BYU might have seen a postseason bowl ban turning in an APR score below 930, despite the fact that most of the athletes really do earn a diploma.

But this should standout as a red flag. Among the "Big Six" BCS conferences, the SEC, known for its academic prowess, had exactly zero schools below the new APR benchmark.

APR scores have been trending upward in recent years as universities figure out how the beat the system.

NCAA President Mark Emmert says the higher APR benchmark sends "a clear signal to the world about what we care about and what we stand for."

Unfortunately, Emmert and the NCAA are going to hide behind their statistics. They may talk tough, but the system can be beat, and this reform is just a smoke screen.