Boston College Athletics
Football Graduation Rate Tops in Division I-A
September 11, 2003 | Football
Sept. 11, 2003
Boston College's 95% football graduation rate is the best in Division I-A football, according to data released this past week by the NCAA. The rankings are determined by federal graduation-rate forms (all schools offering athletic scholarships are required to complete the forms annually) and are for freshmen who entered in fall 1996 and had six years to graduate.
"This is great news," Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo says. "Not only has our football team gone to four straight bowls, it obviously has gone to class. This is a tribute to our players and Learning Resources staff and a testament to the discipline and dedication instilled in our student-athletes by their head coach, Tom O'Brien."
Among institutions that play Division I-A football, BC's graduation rate was followed by Notre Dame (92%), Vanderbilt (91%), Penn State and Wake Forest (86%), Duke and Rice (83%), Stanford (82%) and Northwestern (81%).
"We're very excited about this distinction, but not surprised" Head Coach Tom O'Brien says. "Our players know they are expected to work just as hard in the classroom as they do on the practice field. It is extremely rewarding to know that all their hard work has paid off. Now that we are champions in the classroom, we will continue our quest to be champions on the field."
This latest announcement marked the third major academic recognition for BC in recent months. Last week, the NCAA announced that BC's graduation rate for all student-athletes (male and female) is the sixth-best in the nation among Division I-A athletics programs. In June, BC was honored by the American Football Coaches Association as one of seven institutions nationally to record a football graduation rate of 90 percent or better.
