OGDEN — The report cards are in — and they keep getting better. Weber State's 15 sports teams earned a much improved Academic Progress Rate of 951 out of a possible 1,000 for the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years. The only Weber State team that had an average below 900 was football (894), but coach Ron McBride's program has made significant progress in the last two years, posting scores of 976 in 2008 and 934 in 2009. Four teams — men's and women's golf, men's cross country and women's volleyball — had perfect scores of 1,000 for the 2008-09 season.
Each Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below 925 out of 1,000 can face penalties, such as scholarship losses and restrictions on practice and competition.
"We have made great strides within the department the past two years," said WSU athletic director, Jerry Bovee. "Our administrative staff and coaches have put a lot of time and effort into overseeing our progress rate and keeping the program on track. Getting the waiver for the football team two years ago was a huge boost for our department. It not only helped us avoid further penalties which would have been detrimental to our institution, but it also gave us time, and the opportunity, to implement a plan for improvement which has guided us into a better academic position. I am confident we are headed in the right direction, and I look for even more improvement when the report is again released in 2011."