Ohio State's football program improved in the classroom during the 2015-16 academic calendar but still has a long way to go to be considered among the Big Ten's elite.
According to the NCAA's research database, Urban Meyer's Buckeyes posted a four-year Academic Progress Rate average of 975 for the 2015-16 school year, up four points from the year prior. The 975 APR is good for ninth in the Big Ten among football programs. It is also the highest in the Meyer era.
Scores for the other schools in the conference:
| SCHOOL | SCORE | CHANGE From 2014-15 |
|---|---|---|
| NORTHWESTERN | 995 | Improved from 992 |
| MICHIGAN | 993 | Improved from 992 |
| MINNESOTA | 992 | Stayed same at 992 |
| WISCONSIN | 990 | Declined from 992 |
| ILLINOIS | 984 | Improved from 982 |
| MARYLAND | 984 | Improved from 977 |
| INDIANA | 982 | Improved from 979 |
| NEBRASKA | 977 | Declined from 981 |
| OHIO STATE | 975 | Improved from 971 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 974 | Declined from 978 |
| RUTGERS | 973 | Improved from 972 |
| PURDUE | 971 | Improved from 968 |
| IOWA | 971 | Stayed same at 971 |
| PENN STATE | 969 | Improved from 960 |
The APRs for Northwestern, Michigan and Minnesota scores rank in the top-5 of Football Bowl Subdivision programs, along with the Air Force Academy. Air Force tied Northwestern atop the list at 995.
APR measures eligibility and progress toward graduation for student-athletes. Things like transfers and players leaving their respective programs for other reasons like to turn pro also play a factor.
Ohio State's men's basketball team posted a 950 APR, which is tied for last in the Big Ten. The number sort of makes sense, however, being that the only player of the five-member 2015 recruiting class that is still in Columbus is guard JaQuan Lyle. The women's hoops team recorded a 987, seventh in the conference.
Three Ohio State athletic programs posted perfect APR scores: women's cross country, women's ice hockey and women's tennis. Below are the scores for all 31 sports presented in the NCAA's database.
| SPORT | SCORE | CHANGE FROM 2014-15 |
|---|---|---|
| WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY | 1000 | Stayed same at 1000 |
| WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY | 1000 | Improved from 997 |
| WOMEN'S TENNIS | 1000 | Stayed same at 1000 |
| MEN'S VOLLEYBALL | 991 | Improved from 984 |
| WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 987 | Improved from 975 |
| MEN'S TENNIS | 986 | Improved from 980 |
| WOMEN'S LACROSSE | 985 | Declined from 990 |
| MIXED RIFLE | 984 | Improved from 949 |
| WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS | 984 | Stayed same at 984 |
| WOMEN'S SOCCER | 984 | Stayed same at 984 |
| WOMEN'S GOLF | 981 | Declined from 991 |
| WOMEN'S TRACK | 981 | Improved from 971 |
| MEN'S ICE HOCKEY | 980 | Declined from 995 |
| MEN'S LACROSSE | 980 | Stayed same at 980 |
| WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL | 979 | Improved from 973 |
| WOMEN'S ROWING | 978 | Declined from 983 |
| WOMEN'S FENCING | 977 | Declined from 978 |
| MEN'S GOLF | 976 | Declined from 984 |
| WOMEN'S SWIMMING/DIVING | 976 | Declined from 982 |
| FOOTBALL | 975 | Improved from 971 |
| MEN'S FENCING | 975 | Improved from 966 |
| MEN'S SOCCER | 975 | Stayed same at 975 |
| BASEBALL | 971 | Declined from 974 |
| SOFTBALL | 967 | Declined from 976 |
| MEN'S WRESTLING | 966 | Improved from 961 |
| FIELD HOCKEY | 965 | Declined from 966 |
| MEN'S SWIMMING/DIVING | 956 | Declined from 972 |
| MEN'S GYMNASTICS | 953 | Improved from 951 |
| MEN'S BASKETBALL | 950 | Declined from 967 |
| MEN'S TRACK | 946 | Declined from 963 |
| MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY | 940 | Declined from 962 |
Overall, Division I student-athletes across all sports improved for the 13th straight year, according to the NCAA. Athletic programs face penalties like postseason bans for failing to reach an APR of 930 (out of 1,000). According to USA TODAY, 17 programs felt that hammer with the release of Wednesday's data, six less than a year ago.
The NCAA said the overall four-year APR for the 2015-16 school year is 981, a two-point improvement from the previous year. Football bumped up from 959 to 962 while men's basketball went up from 964 to 966.
