Boston College Athletics
Football Honored for Graduation Rate
May 23, 2006 | Football
May 23, 2006
Boston College is one of six Division I-A institutions with a football graduation rate of 90% or better, according to the American Football Coaches Association's annual Academic Achievement Awards data, released today. The Eagles were named along with Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Southern Methodist and Southern Mississippi.
"We're very proud of the accomplishments of our football team both on and off the field," Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo says. "Year in and year out, these young men personify the term student-athlete."
SMU will receive the AFCA's 2006 Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. The school recorded a 100 percent graduation rate when all members of its freshman class of 2000-2001 earned a degree. SMU's win was the first for the school since the College Football Association began presenting the award in 1981. The AFCA has presented the award since 1998.
Boston College has won the Academic Achievement Award four times, most recently in 2004, and has achieved Honorable Mention status 14 times.
Twenty-three other institutions will be recognized for graduating 70 percent or more of their football student-athletes, including Auburn, Baylor, California, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado State, Florida State, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Rice, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Troy, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia. The ACC led all conferences with nine institutions honored.
The overall graduation rate of the 104 schools that responded to the survey was 58 percent, equaling last year's mark. Fifty of the members responding were above the average and 54 were below the average. The median graduation rate was 57 percent, compared to 57 percent last year and 60 percent two years ago. The 104 respondents to this year's survey is a record high. One hundred and three schools replied in 2005.
The study involves the freshman class from the academic year of 2000-2001, 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.
Conference Breakdown: Atlantic Coast (9), Big East (4), Big 12 (4), Big 10 (3), Conference USA (3), Independents (1), Mid-American (1), Mountain West (1), Pacific 10 (1), Southeastern (1), Sun Belt (1).
Academic Achievement Award Winners Through the Years
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 2005: Duke & Northwestern 2006: SMU
*- Presented by the College Football Association
