SMU wins national academic award

[PonyPride]

SMU RECEIVES AFCA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mustangs Claim National Honor
May 23, 2006

WACO (AFCA) - SMU will receive the American Football Coaches
Association'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.

Although it is topping the list for the first time, SMU has been honored
in the honorable mention category 11 times through the years (1987,
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005).

"It's an honor to win this award and it shows the commitment SMU makes
to its student-athletes," SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett said. "It's also
a tribute to our tremendous academic support staff, our faculty and our
student-athletes that value their educational success. We're very proud
of this achievement and we will continue to strive for academic excellence."

Twenty-eight other institutions will be recognized for graduating 70
percent or more of their football student-athletes. Five of those
institutions achieved a rate of 90 percent or better: Boston College,
Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Southern Mississippi. The others
receiving honorable mention are: 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 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.


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

[Water Pony]

SMU RECEIVES AFCA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Although it is topping the list for the first time, SMU has been honored
in the honorable mention category 11 times through the years (1987,
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005).

"It's an honor to win this award and it shows the commitment SMU makes
to its student-athletes," SMU Head Coach Phil Bennett said. "It's also
a tribute to our tremendous academic support staff, our faculty and our
student-athletes that value their educational success. We're very proud
of this achievement and we will continue to strive for academic excellence."

2006: SMU
*- Presented by the College Football Association

This recognition is well deserved and elevates the reputation of our program, which unfortunately, has had a different reputation since the late eighties.

As a private school, it is especially important that our performance in academics helps establish and continue to support a quality reputation, similar to ND, Stanford, BC, Northwestern, etc. Not a bad group to compare to.

State U. we are not! And that is good.

[friarwolf]

Amen. Our little university has something special going on these days.........

[DiamondM75]

To all Texas Football Moms and Dads,

Listen and listen close:

If you want your son to play Division I football, receive a scholarship to a great university, get a good education, stay close to home, make local network connections and GRADUATE.

There is now documented proof that the only place to do all this is Southern Methodist University.

[Water Pony]

Game, set, match

[BUS]

Even if you look back at the days of the SWC, SMU and Rice had the best graduation percentages.

Other added perks of SMU are Dallas nightlife, pretty women and great weather.

I am glad that the Mrs. Bairds plant does not bake bread anymore.
Running Mustang Reminders and smelling fresh bread was just too much.

[Sam I Am]

Dement had a good graduation rate in BB, and now FB wins first place. This is very impressive.

[Kappas Are Yummy]

I'll gladly trade it all for a national championship.

[EastStang]

UT had a pathetic graduation rate, but won the National Title. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see that we have kids graduating and getting what they deserve a diploma, and I don't want us to become a school where we admit any idiot who runs a 4.4. I hope this is a reflection on our tutoring program and our coaching staff's desire and priorities for the players as opposed to our academic model.

[Water Pony]

I'll gladly trade it all for a national championship.

Fortunately, it is not an either/or.

Selling my soul for a national championship would recreate the eighties. Notre Dame, USC, Michgan, etc. can do both and succeed. And two of them are private.

[The PonyGrad]

Hey, Faculty Committee, see we can pay attention to academics with the football program. Now, lighten up.

[Terry Webster]

Anone know where other CUSA teams are on the list? What about UT and A&M?

[DiamondM75]

Can we claim to be "National Champs"?

[The PonyGrad]

Can we claim to be "National Champs"?

Yeah, were is the T-shirt?

[Stallion]

USC standards for admissions for athletes is the NCAA minimum standards. Notre Dame has largely been non-competitive on the National stage for decades now despite having an aura and mystique that no school can match. They certainly don't win-every once in awhile because of their standards-but instead win every once in awhile in spite of them. Neither school has anything to do whatsoever with SMU.