University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football and Men's Basketball Graduation Rates Reach New Heights
10/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football and Men's Basketball Graduation
Rates Reach New Heights
Hattiesburg, Miss. -The NCAA has released its annual graduation rates, and Southern Miss is proud to announce that the sports of football and men's basketball have both reached new heights, and, as they have over the past few years, have shown tremendous increase in their rates.
"We are pleased that the graduation rates continue to climb in football and men's basketball," Southern Miss Director of Athletics Richard Giannini said. "That is our No. 1 priority for our student-athletes. We work hard to make sure that they are successful in their areas of choice. This success is also indicative of the fine staff we have in our academic enhancement area."
?Graduation rates are reflective of a number of factors," Southern Miss Director of the Student Academic Enhancement Program Tracy Robinson said. "The significant increase at Southern Miss is largely due to the commitment of our staff to our students. Our mission is not solely to provide support services for student-athletes, but to make sure those services are individualized to meet the diverse educational, social, and emotional needs of the students we serve. While we are thrilled with the increase, we also understand the reality of the numbers and the many factors not considered in the calculations.?
The Southern Miss football program posted a 64 percent graduation rate, which takes into account student-athletes who entered the University in 1995-96 and their graduation success, giving them a six-year period in which to graduate. The national average for football teams is 52 percent, which puts Southern Miss 12 percent over the average. The Golden Eagle football team ranked No. 1 in the state of Mississippi, No. 3 in Conference USA for this year and No. 2 in the conference when figuring the four-year average.
"You have to give credit to the student-athletes we recruit and have in our program for their hard work and diligence in the classroom," Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower said. "The student-athletes work hard and achieve success, which continues to show each year. I also have to give credit to Tracy Robinson and the academic enhancement program for the fine job they do, working with, and developing our players academically."
When figuring graduation rates, only students receiving athletic financial aid are counted in these numbers and the rates are counted from the time the students start classes and gives them six years from that point to graduate. If a student-athlete in good standing transfers, he or she than counts against the original school as a non-graduate, even though he or she left in good standing. Thus, the retention of student athletes is the No. 1 factor in having outstanding graduation rates.
The Southern Miss basketball program posted a 67 percent graduation rate, increasing 42 percent from a year ago. The national average for basketball teams is 43 percent, which puts Southern Miss 24 percent over the average. The national average for I-A football playing schools is 36 percent, putting the Golden Eagles 31 percent ahead of the I-A average. The USM basketball team tied for highest graduation percentage in the state and ranked No. 4 in Conference USA.
?Number one, I think that increase has a lot to do with the character of the players we bring into our program," Southern Miss Head Men's Basketball Coach James Green said. "I also think our academic staff is the finest in the country. Graduating players is something that is important to our coaching staff. We make promises to the players we recruit, as well as to their parents, and we work very hard to fulfill those promises.?
