TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama football and men’s basketball teams, along with women’s golf, gymnastics and volleyball, have been honored with the 2020 NCAA Division I Public Recognition Award, the NCAA announced Tuesday. It marks the sixth year in a row that Alabama has had at least five teams recognized with the honor.
“This award speaks to the overall importance and focus that we as a department place on excelling not only in athletics but in the classroom as well,” UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. “To have at least one team honored every year since the award came into existence and four or more each of the last half dozen years is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and staff.”
Alabama is one of five schools in Division I to earn the Public Recognition Award for both football and men’s basketball this year, along with Stanford, Northwestern, Cincinnati and Washington.
The women’s golf team was recognized for the 10th-consecutive year and gymnastics earned the accolade for the sixth year in a row. It was the sixth such honor for volleyball and second in a row. Football earned the recognition for the second time while men’s basketball earned the accolade for the second year in a row and third time overall.
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top-10 percent of all squads in each sport.
Crimson Tide teams have earned the NCAA honor 47 times in the award’s 15-year history. The overall APR report covering all sports will be released next week.
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