CLEVELAND -- The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has announced the recipients of this year's Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award.

"The FCS ADA is once again honored to recognize the institutions that have excelled in the APR this year," said Director of Athletics at the University of Rhode Island and current FCS ADA President, Thorr Bjorn. "The Association would like to congratulate those programs that achieved the top four-year APR mark in their conference as well as the programs in each league that showed the greatest improvement over the last year's mark. Academic success and retention are critical in assessing the value FCS football programs bring to their respective institutions."

The APR Award recognizes one institution at each of the 13 FCS conferences that has the highest APR score. In addition, the Association also recognizes one institution from each conference that has improved the most from the previous year.

The following 26 institutions formally received their awards during the FCS ADA Luncheon sponsored by Borden Perlman Insurance Agency, on June 28 in conjunction with the 2018 NACDA Convention at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
 

Conference	Highest APR in 2016-17	Most Improved for 2016-17
Big Sky Conference	University of California Davis	University of Northern Colorado
Big South Conference	Presbyterian College	Monmouth University
Colonial Athletic Association	University of New Hampshire	College of William & Mary
	Villanova University
MEAC	North Carolina A&T State University
Missouri Valley	North Dakota State University	University of Northern Iowa
Northeast Conference	Bryant University	Wagner College
Ohio Valley Conference	Jacksonville State University	Jacksonville State University
	Murray State University
Patriot League	Lafayette College	Lehigh University
Pioneer Football League	University of Dayton	Stetson University
Southern Conference	Wofford College	Virginia Military Institute
Southland Conference	Houston Baptist University	Southeastern Louisiana University
SWAC	Jackson State University	Alcorn State University
Ivy League	Columbia University-Barnard College
	Dartmouth College

In 2003, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member colleges and universities adopted a comprehensive academic reform package designed to improve the academic success and graduation of all student-athletes. The centerpiece of the package is the academic measurement for teams, known as the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 24th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 53rd year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.