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SWAC student-athletes gain recognition for academic progress

Over 1,050 student-athletes maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher last school year

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    SWAC Students GPA
    Jackson State University had 172 student-athletes that maintained a 3.0 or high GPA during the 2015-2016 school year. That number is added into the rest of the SWAC schools bring the total number of students Cooper Neill/Getty Images
    Maya A. Jones By @mjay615

    Over 1,050 student-athletes are being recognized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) after achieving and maintaining a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2015-16 school year.

    Since 2003, NCAA institutions have implemented the Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) to hold schools accountable for the academic progress of student-athletes enrolled in their sports programs. The metrics used for APR track the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete during the course of every academic term.

    To participate in NCAA championships, teams must maintain a two-year average APR of 940 or a four-year average APR of 930. Teams that fail to meet the requirements or underperform are penalized.

    Of the 10 institutions participating in the SWAC, Jackson State University earned the Academic Excellence Award for producing the highest number of honorees (176) on the All-Academic team this year.

    Here is the comprehensive list of the 1,050 athletes.

    Maya Jones is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a native New Orleanian who enjoys long walks down Frenchmen Street and romantic dates to Saints games.

    This Story Tagged: SWAC NCAA Basketball HBCU Sports HBCU Basketball