Seventeen USC Sports Equaled Or Improved Scores As USC Hits A New APR Record In 2023

USC Athletics | May 02, 2023

LOS ANGELES — USC Athletics has set a new department record in earning a multiyear 2023 NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990 thanks to seventeen of its 21 sports earning scores equal to or improved from 2022, according to data that was released today (May 2.).

Among the seventeen Trojan sports equalling or exceeding their previous scores, nine teams set or equaled their all-time best APR, and 19 USC squads had an APR that was above or equal to the national Division I average for their sport. 

A team’s APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation to generate a measure of academic performance. Each year, the APR creates a snapshot of a team’s academic success as it tracks the progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The 2023 APR is a multiyear rate based on scores from the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years. APR scores below 930 lead to penalties that include practice restrictions, playing season reductions and postseason ineligibility. The NCAA began tracking APR in 2004-05. 

“We are proud to announce that the academic achievements of our student-athletes have surpassed expectations, yet again,” Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services Heather Bell said. “We owe this success not only to the hard work and dedication of our athletes but also to the unwavering support and collaboration of our Student-Athlete Academic Services staff, campus partners, coaches and esteemed faculty. Together, we have nurtured a culture of excellence that has empowered our student-athletes to achieve their full potential, on and off the field, and we are grateful for their contributions to this ongoing success. We are excited about what the future holds for our student-athletes and look forward to continued success and growth in all areas of their academic and athletic pursuits.”

USC’s 2023 APR score of 990 is a new department high and continues the Trojans’ upward overall trajectory. It follows last year’s record-setting tally of 988, which was an improvement from 985 in 2020. The NCAA did not release its annual scorecard of academic achievement for all Division I teams in 2021, taking a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. 

Sixteen Trojan teams had at least a 990 APR, including nine at 1,000 (men’s basketball, men’s tennis, men’s track,…