27 of 56 Bowl-bound Teams Graduate Less Than Half

[MrMustang1965]

By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer
December 7, 2004
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Twenty-seven of the 56 schools with bowl-bound football teams graduated less than half their players, according to a study released Tuesday.

The annual study by the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida also showed that 39 of the schools graduated less than half of their black players.

Among the bowl teams, 51 of 55 graduated at least 40 percent of their white players, according to the study, while just 30 schools graduated at least 40 percent of their black players. Only six schools graduated a higher percentage of black players than white players.

There are 56 teams playing in this year's bowl games, but only 55 teams were examined because Navy doesn't release graduation rates. Last year, 32 bowl-bound teams graduated less than half of their football players.

``You find the gaps between African-American and white football players a little bit wider at the bowl level,'' said Richard Lapchick, the study's author. ``It's a problem throughout Division I-A.''

The institute used NCAA statistics for the study. The statistics were taken from four freshman classes, beginning in 1994-95 and ending in '97-98, with each class given six years to graduate.

This year, the NCAA reported that 54 percent of all football players graduated, an increase of 3 percent over last year. The general student body rate was 60 percent and the overall student-athlete rate was 62 percent.

The schools with the worst graduation rates, both overall and for black players, were Pittsburgh and Texas. Pittsburgh had an overall graduation rate of 31 percent and 20 percent for black players. Texas had an overall graduation rate of 34 percent, 33 percent for its black players.

Texas spokesman Bill Little said the study didn't take into account that many football players left and graduated at other schools after coach Mack Brown took over the program in 1998.

``When you change coaches, there are guys who don't want to play in that system,'' Little said.

Pitt spokesman E.J. Borghetti said the report doesn't reflect the school's current graduation rate since 15 of 19 seniors on the team graduated last year, including eight of 11 black players.

``It's key to emphasize the report is a snapshot of a football program in the middle of the last decade,'' Borghetti said. ``It's not an accurate portrait of what our football program is in 2004.''

Syracuse (78 percent overall, 69 for black players), Notre Dame (78 and 74) and Boston College (77 and 76) had the best graduation rates overall and for black players.

[Charleston Pony]

Gee, what a shocker!

[ALEX LIFESON]

At least the cheating horns are consistent. They are dead last in the Big 12 too. "Those kids" are idiots!

[PlanoStang]

ROOK EM HORNS

[DiamondM75]

Instead of making stupid rules like 15K attendance, no band playing while the other team has the ball, no cow bells, no mascots on the field, etc. Maybe the NCAA should start making graduation rate a criteria for being bowl eliigible. If your grad rate is less than say 60%, then you are not eligible for post season play and if your rate is below 50%, you lose scholarships and if your rate is below 40%, you lose more scholarships.

No wait, the Big 12 and the BCS are in control of college sports, what was I thinking?

[Bergermeister]

I'd take a bowl game over a graduation rate any day. I'm sure those 27 schools are embarrassed... all the way to their recruits' homes (and the trophy shop, jewelry store and the bank ... if it's BcS).

[Dwan]

the scary thing about those grad rates almost all of those schools have joke majors and easy programs for their players.....

[SWC2010]

the scary thing about those grad rates almost all of those schools have joke majors and easy programs for their players.....

Wanna be scared, Dwan? Go look at the Graduation rate in MEN'S (not womens) ncaa basketball. It's not scary-- it's ridiculous.