ATLANTA – The NCAA report on graduation rates for Division I institutions which was released on Nov. 20 and has been reported in various forms by the media contains raw data reported by the institutions.
It is Georgia Tech’s contention that the raw data in these reports does not accurately reflect the academic environment in which Yellow Jacket student-athletes must compete, nor does it reflect the performance of Tech’s football players in recent years because of the six-year window the NCAA uses to report graduation rates.
In light of this, the following factors should be taken considered in understanding graduation rates:
In most years, the graduation rates for student-athletes hovers within a few points of the Institute’s graduation rate.
Of the students who have exhausted their eligibility, the graduation rate is 86% (from 1984-94).
Strategies to increase retention and graduation both for the Institute and the Athletic Association have been put in place in the last few years, but it will take some time to realize the results.
The 1993 football incoming class (used for the NCAA’s report) was Bill Lewis’ recruiting class, not George O’Leary’s, and Tech changed coaches the next year. Graduation rates for the first recruiting class under coach O’Leary will not be reported for two more years under the NCAA’s six-year window.
With the coming of a new coach, O’Leary, as is to be expected, some players left to go elsewhere (in one year 6 of 21 transferred). This makes a significant impact on the reported graduation rate.
The rates don’t factor in transfers who go elsewhere and graduate; they count against our rates.
Of the past few football recruiting classes, a very high percentage are on track to graduate.
The athletic success of our programs has put many students into the NFL, NBA, and National/American Baseball Leagues before completing degrees.
ACADEMIC HONORS FOR TECH FOOTBALL UNDER O’LEARY
Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 GPA and above)
Fall semester 1999 – 16
Spring semester 2000 – 16
Academic all-Atlantic Coast Conference
1994 – 1
1995 – 2
1996 – 2
1997 – 1
1999 – 3
Football Players on the ACC Academic Honor Roll
1994-95 – 6
1995-96 – 8
1996-97 – 4
1997-98 – 10
1998-99 – 11
