UA expects low APR, Ole Miss braces for penalties
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Eighteen of Arkansas' 19 sports are expected to be in the free and clear today when the NCAA releases its Academic Progress Rate scores. UA basketball, though, is expected to be well below the NCAA's benchmark score of 925. The numbers are expected to be released at 3:30 p.m. today.
Long
The APR is a points-based system implemented by the NCAA five years ago to monitor student-athletes' retention and eligibility at a school. A score of 925 is believed to project to a 60 percent graduation rate.
A rolling, four-year cumulative score of 925 or lower is subject to penalties, including scholarship loss.
A loss of no more than 10 percent of the basketball program's 13 scholarships is possible if a score falls below 925 and a player(s) leaves the school academically ineligible. Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long has said that he does not believe the UA will be penalized, but expects to receive a written warning from the NCAA today.
That leads us to believe that the six seniors who departed last year without graduating were in the clear academically. The same goes for the three underclassmen — Patrick Beverley, Levan Patsatsia and Nate Rakestraw — who also left.
Beverley
In the APR system, players can receive a total of two points per semester. One point counts for eligibility and another point is counted for retention. The so-called "0-for-2" athletes are usually what get schools in trouble. Arkansas, it has been hinted, did not have an "0-for-2" athlete in the 2007-08 academic year.
In the next few years, Arkansas could bump that score up if its former players return to the UA and graduate. The UA can even petition to receive a pro-exemption point for players who left the school under good academic standing to pursue a pro playing career.
The UA may get a double whammy of points with Steven Hill, who left the team in 2008 just one class short of graduating to pursue a pro career. He made his intentions known last week on Twitter.
Arkansas isn't the only program expecting low scores today. The Ole Miss football program is expected to take a hit in the form of scholarship losses, according to the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. The immediate penalties will result in a loss of three scholarships.
Minnesota faces similar circumstances today. The Gophers are also expecting to lose three scholarships.
Tennessee-Chattanooga's football program will be under historic penalties for a multi-year APR below the benchmark for several years. They'll lose scholarships, practice time and are banned from postseason play.
Some schools are able to dodge immediate penalties with waivers for special circumstances. Coaching and departmental changes can keep the NCAA's penalties at bay if a multi-year score falls below the 925 benchmark for the first time. Arkansas' basketball program may fall under that banner because coach John Pelphrey was in his first season as the Razorbacks' coach.
We'll find out soon enough. Keep it here for more updates this afternoon.
– Brandon Marcello
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