Boston College Athletics
Football Wins 2004 AFCA Academic Achievement Award
June 10, 2004 | Football
June 10, 2004
Boston College and Northwestern University will receive the American Football Coaches Association's 2004 Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. The schools each recorded a 100 percent graduation rate when all members of their freshman classes of 1998-99 earned a degree.
Boston College's win is the fourth for the school. The school also earned the honor in 1996, 1995 and 1992. Boston College has also earned honorable mention honors on 12 other occasions. Northwestern's win is the third for the school.
"A one-hundred-percent graduation rate is our goal, and our players know they are expected to work just as hard in the classroom as they do on the practice field and in games," Boston College Head Coach Tom O'Brien said. "It is extremely rewarding to know their hard work has paid off."
Thirty other institutions will be recognized for graduating 70 percent or more of their football players. Three of those institutions achieved a rate of 90 percent or better: Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest. The others receiving honorable mention are: Ball State, Bowling Green, Duke, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Marshall, Maryland, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, TCU, Texas Tech, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Western Michigan.
The overall graduation rate of the 94 schools that responded to the survey was 59 percent, similar to the previous year. Forty-nine of the members responding were above the average and 45 were below the average. The median graduation rate was 60 percent, compared to 59 percent last year and 61 percent two years ago.
The study involves the freshman class from the academic year of 1998-99, including those who entered at that time but who did not receive financial aid until after their initial year, or who transferred from another institution and subsequently received a grant-in-aid.
All-Time Academic Achievement Award Recipients* 1981: Duke; 1982: Notre Dame; 1983: Notre Dame; 1984: Duke & Notre Dame; 1985: Virginia; 1986: Virginia; 1987: Duke; 1988: Notre Dame; 1989: Kentucky; 1990: Duke; 1991: Notre Dame; 1992: Boston College & TCU; 1993: Duke; 1994: Duke; 1995: Boston College, Duke & Wake Forest; 1996: Boston College, Duke & Vanderbilt; 1997: Duke; 1998: Northwestern; 1999: Duke; 2000: Syracuse; 2001: Notre Dame & Vanderbilt; 2002: Northwestern; 2003: Duke; 2004: Boston College & Northwestern *- Presented by the College Football Association from 1981-97.
For more information on the AFCA, log on to the AFCA's website at www.afca.com
