May 16, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS – Seven UC Davis teams were recognized by the NCAA on Wednesday for their academic excellence after scoring in the top 10 percent of their respective sports with their most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rates. Earning honors with a perfect score of 1,000 were men's golf, men's tennis, women's basketball, field hockey, women's golf, softball and women's tennis.

The NCAA's latest announcement continues a trend for UC Davis, the sixth-ranked public school in the country, and its athletics programs: Since the organization first's Public Recognition report, which took place during the 2005-06 academic year, no Big West Conference school holds a higher award total than the Aggies. Of the 138 combined Public Recognition Awards earned by the Big West since that inaugural report, UC Davis is responsible for nearly 20 percent of that total with its 25. 

This year alone, the Aggies collected seven of 23 awards received by the nine-member league.

Combined with awards earned by teams that compete in other conferences — America East (field hockey), Big Sky (football), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (women's gymnastics, women's indoor track and field, women's lacrosse, women's swimming and diving) and the Western Water Polo Association (men's water polo) — the Aggies earned 32 national awards from the NCAA since the 2005-06 season.

The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams, and measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter. This annual figure gives a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport.

The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.

With this announcement, women's tennis earned Public Recognition Awards in each of the last 10 seasons, with a multiyear score of 1,000 recorded in each annual report. This is the second award, in as many seasons, for softball, men's tennis and men's golf, the second for women's basketball, women's golf, and the first for field hockey.

The NCAA will release APR scores for all Division I teams later this month. 


ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. 

The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.