TSU is banned from the playoffs this fall due to poor APR. Very sad for this year's seniors. They get only 10 games and no post-season hopes. 

Can't keep this "dirty laundry" from getting out. 

TSU Football works to improve academic standing following NCAA Notice of Postseason Ban

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information  Release: 05/27/2015

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Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics










NCAA RELEASE
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  – May 27, 2015 – Tennessee State University has implemented new programs to improve academic performance of its football-student athletes.  This comes following notification from the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance that the program will be banned from postseason competition for the 2015 season.  The notice states that the TSU football program failed to meet the academic standards required by the NCAA Academic Progress Rate.  This year marks the first time that a TSU athletic program has ever been issued a post-season ban or Level I penalty since the NCAA started collecting APR data 11 years ago.
“While 14 of our athletic programs have scored at or above the NCAA’s APR benchmark, unfortunately, the football team fell short,” said Teresa Phillips, director of Athletics. “We take the academic progress of our student athletes very seriously and have implemented new processes and procedures for our coaches and students to address this issue and improve the overall administration of the football program. I am confident that these new measures will rectify the problem going forward.”

The sanctions against TSU are a result of the multiyear APR calculations—a four-year measurement covering the academic years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14.  The football team’s multiyear APR score was 915, falling short of the 920 benchmark set forth by the NCAA for limited resource institutions.

As a result, the football program will be subject to a Level I penalty. This penalty reduces the number of hours allowed for regular season athletic related activities – an amount that must be replaced with activities related to academics. Last fall, the TSU athletics department made serious and substantive modifications to the football program to address the APR score decline.  Some of the measures include:

• Developing and submitting an improvement plan outlining future expectations;
• Increasing academic support for student-athletes, including the proposed addition of an advisor specifically assigned to football;
•  Improving accommodations, support and access to student-athlete tutoring services;
• Relocating to an upgraded facility that includes a larger computer lab, tutoring room and quiet study area;
• Developing a new policy that requires increased study-hall hours for students with GPAs that are below standards;
• Implementing a zero-tolerance policy for class and study hall absences; and
• Requiring head football coach and key assistants to attend the yearly NCAA Rules Seminar

TSU President Glenda Glover issued the following statement regarding the NCAA's announcement citing the university.

“Educating and graduating our student athletes is a top priority for all our programs, including football," said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover. "It is clear we should have done a better job monitoring the academic progress of our football student-athletes. However, recent changes within our (football) program have already had a significant impact in achieving the success we expect in the classroom. We will strive to maintain that standard as we move forward. Winning on the field is important, but the most important thing to all of us is for our student-athletes to obtain their degrees.”

All intercollegiate sports programs at NCAA member institutions receive an APR score during the academic year. Scores are compiled based on points given for eligibility and retention for student-athletes that receive athletic scholarships and financial aid each semester. Teams lose points when a scholarship player is not academically eligible to play at the end of a semester or transfers without a minimum 2.6 GPA.
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http://www.tsutigers.com/ViewArticle.db ... M_ID=19600

This is ridiculous!!!! Here it is we were worried about men's bastketball transfers and APR issues and we are blindsided or least I am blindsided by the football team. Then we only get a 10 game season. Wow!!!!!! I'm pretty pissed right now. Especially at coaching staff and support staff including the AD. I thought we were running a very clean program and graduating players. This is what I have been told by coaches and administrators and then this comes out.

My understanding is that the post season is a ban, but the 10 game season is a choice. (Or ineptitude) I didn't read anything that said we were banned post season and one regular season game. 

Although I'm a big fan of Coach Reid, this is another new low under his tenure; hit with APR restrictions, a possible post season ban, and a 10 game schedule for the first time since players played in leather helmets.

This is disappointing, especially for the seniors on the squad. I hope we don't have too much turnover because of this. Let's get it right and move forward. I really hope we don't see this with the basketball program in a few years.

If you have not kept up with it, the rules for funding higher education have changed. My mom was a public school teacher and my dad was a firefighter. As such, financial aide was my friend. I also was not that smart so I was in school more than 4 years. In that day, as long as I was in school, I got financial aide no matter how long it took.

The higher ed game funding rules have changed significantly. Ones that stand out to me for TSU are:
1) The money TSU gets from the state is defined by our number of graduates . Back in my day (79-82), funding was based on number enrolled.
2) TSU has gone from being a state supported to a state assisted one.  This applies to all state schools in Tennessee (I know...).  If you look at TSU's budget, less than 30% (check me on this number) of operating expense is covered by state funding.
3) The most frightening thing for me is the fact that financial aide is now tied to individual class performance as opposed to a student's overall performance.
     - You need more than four years to complete your program, you can take that time but you have to fund it yourself. Consequently, you take fewer than 15 hours in any  of your 8 funded semesters, you will not graduate in four years.
     - You need to repeat a class, you can not use financial aide to repeat a class! You have to fund it yourself out of pocket.

So when you take just these factors into consideration, where does our program get money to help players who may need extra time?

Let's say our squad of 50 (do I have that number right?) has 10 freshmen taking 12 hours and the other 40 players are all making 2.6 and taking 15 hours their subsequent years ;-).   Okay, that's 10 semesters, every year, our coaching staff needs money to graduate folks we started out behind the 8 ball.  Assuming tuition and fees only (no room, board or books) is $5K/semester, we now have $50K (10*$5000) that our athletic department needs to find to keep in their back pocket to help these fellas graduate in 4.5 years.  That's $50K EVERY YEAR!!!

I just don't think that's happening and my numbers are really, really modest...

Faithfully Blue!

Starfish

My hope is that the A.D. has someone on speed dial as she waited on these APR numbers to come in. It doesn't take away the team's, the coach's, and my disappointment in having no shot at playoffs, but we should at least give the seniors 11 games. 
Does the ban of the post season mean we cant go to the playoffs or that we can't play after Nov. 21? (or both) I wonder if we could play a regular season game after that date. (i.e. Army vs. Navy) 

I found this for article those that are interested. I see no other OVC teams mentioned. I do see the list being dominated by HBCU schools that remember their heritage (which is fine) while changing in order to be successful in every phase of the college life for their students. 

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/med ... alty_chart

Postseason access loss and penaltiesIn 2015-16, 21 teams will be ineligible for the postseason due to their low APR, compared with 42 teams last year. All teams other than limited-resource schools must achieve a 930 APR to be eligible to compete after the regular season.
In 2015-16, 28 Division I teams are subject to penalties – separate from the postseason requirement – for not meeting the minimum academic standard set by member schools. In 2014-15, 70 teams took penalties or did not have access to the postseason.
Teams are subject to penalties if their multi-year APR falls below 930. They may request a waiver of some or all penalty elements. Waivers are overseen by the Committee on Academics. The NCAA’s penalty structure has three levels, with penalties increasing in severity at each level. Schools move through the penalty structure each year, progressing to the next level if their multi-year APR remains below the benchmarks.
The specific penalties for each team are listed on the school’s report in the APR searchable database.
Level One penalties focus on practice restrictions, allowing teams to use that time to focus on academics. Teams facing this penalty lose four hours and one day of practice time per week in season, replaced with academic activities. This year, 13 teams face this level of penalty.
Level Two penalties include the Level One penalty and a reduction of four hours of practice time out of season replaced with academic activities. This level also includes the elimination of the nonchampionship season or spring football. Teams without nonchampionship seasons face a reduced number of contests. This year, 11 teams fall in this category.
Level Three penalties include all Level One and Two penalties, plus a menu of potential additional penalties. These can include scholarship reductions; additional practice and contest restrictions; coach-specific penalties (including game and recruiting restrictions); restricted access to practice for incoming students who fall below certain academic standards; restricted membership; and potential multi-year bans on postseason competition. In 2014-15, four teams face this level of penalty.

Teams with postseason ineligibility in 2015-16(Teams may also face APR penalties) Baseball Campbell University* Mississippi Valley State University Football Alabama State University Florida A&M University Gardner-Webb University Savannah State University Tennessee State University Men’s Basketball Alcorn State University  Florida A&M University Stetson University University of Central Arkansas Men’s Cross Country Florida A&M University Men’s Golf Prairie View A&M University University of Idaho Men’s Soccer Howard University Men’s Indoor Track and Field Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus Florida A&M University Prairie View A&M University Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Florida A&M University Prairie View A&M University Women’s Basketball Savannah State University	Teams facing Level One APR penaltiesAlabama State University Men’s tennis Bethune-Cookman University Women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field Campbell University Baseball* Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus Men’s indoor track and field Florida A&M University Men’s cross country Grambling State University Women’s basketball Morgan State University Football Norfolk State University Women’s cross country Prairie View A&M University Men’s golf Savannah State University Women’s softball Tennessee State University Football University of Idaho Men’s golf	Teams facing Level Two APR penaltiesAlcorn State University Men’s basketball Campbell University Wrestling* Florida A&M University Football, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field Howard University Men’s soccer Prairie View A&M University Men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field Savannah State University Men’s basketball, women’s basketball University of Central Arkansas Men’s basketball Teams facing Level Three APR penaltiesAlabama State University Football Florida A&M University Men’s basketball Mississippi Valley State University Baseball Savannah State University Football *Waiver pending

 



Media ContactMichelle


Brutlag Hosick


Associate Director of Public and Media Relations


NCAA


[url=mailto:mhosick@ncaa.org]mhosick@ncaa.org[/url]

Starfish

I suggest we do what the other ovc schools are doing. none of them were on the list. we need to stop making excuses. this is embarrassing and as a grad and financial supporter of alumni association and the football and mens basketball teams I am very pissed. and there is enough blame to go around that athletic department.

This is disappointing. That's without question. It could be worse but we aren't too far off the mark of 920. Although I'd rather see us exceed it rather than have a goal of meeting it. It doesn't appear that TSU is making any excuses either. Unlike so many of our peer schools and other programs that have found themselves in a similar situation. But lets keep in mind that the APR is not simply a look at GPA's. The graduation rate plays a significant part of the APR and if a player (even if they are academically sound by NCAA standards) decides to leave a program it counts against that schools APR. TSU didn't mention that as being an issue but we all know that there have been players over the past few years that opted to walk at the end of a season for various reasons. That I'm sure didn't help the situation.

Lets look at the good in this. It's a wake up call after years of being comfortable with the way things were going. I like the measures that TSU has taken to address the issue and I believe we'll see positive results as an outcome.

This is when the athletic program really needs our backing to ensure that they have the funding to provide the necessary academic support to all of our athletes. So, even in our disappointment, we need to be part of the solution and support the athletic program financially. Be critical. But chose to be supportive as well. Choose to be the difference.

We were briefed by the AD May 16, 2015 at the Mid-South
Regional Alumni Conference that this would happen.



One of the main areas that were pointed out was the
graduation rate, not the academics per se’. As DC mentioned, the lack of
players graduating was the problem. The problem is convincing, players to stay
and graduate and not transfer because of a minor issue.



Several schools have complained to the NCAA, about the
formula, meaning that using the transfer rate as part the calculation. Because,
the university cannot prevent a student from transferring, dropping out of
school or just leaving the program.



Why are some pointing the finger at the coaching staff, they
cannot prevent a player from the same items I previously mentioned.




 


It’s sad to say, but the basketball program is headed down
the same road!