MAC football grad rates tops in nation

[TG1996]

8 of 12 MAC schools (67%) graduated more than 70% of its football players for the classes entering school from '96 to '99. Akron, Eastern, NIU and UT are between 50 and 70% grad rate.


The next closest conference was the ACC at 38%.

http://bgsufalcons.cstv.com/sports/m-fo ... 06aac.html

[manager]

Beginning, middle and end this is the only stat category that matters.

[Rightupinthere]

I suppose this is just further proof that the schools comprising the MAC don't belong on the Div 1A landscape.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Not bad for "that conference that allows non-qualifiers".

[Globetrotter]

8 of 12 MAC schools (67%) graduated more than 70% of its football players for the classes entering school from '96 to '99. Akron, Eastern, NIU and UT are between 50 and 70% grad rate.


The next closest conference was the ACC at 38%.

http://bgsufalcons.cstv.com/sports/m-fo ... 06aac.html

How many of them go on to play pro football at some level?

[It's the Journey...]

Does that really matter? Hopefully our players are here to earn a degree, not just to play football. This is a stat the league should really hang its hat on. I don't care if you are DI, DIA, DII, or DIII. That SHOULD be the focus of every program in the country IMO.

[Tricky_Falcon]

It should be but a lot of programs are more worried about winning at all costs and hey if you graduate good job, if you don't, you don't. Once the seniors are gone there are new football machines coming into the system to worry about.

[cbjhack]

While it is something to be proud of, I would be interested to see how they define graduates. Bobby Knight used to say that he graduated close to 100 percent of his players who stayed four years. But when one or two each class transfer the number is actually less. Since the NCAA factors in players who started, but left before their class was to graduate, in the graduation rate, it is misleading.

The MAC could benefit, much like the ACC from players who start out at Big Ten or SEC schools and transfer to a small school, whether it is DI, I-A, or III for more playing time.

To be honest, I think the only graduation rate that matters is when it is compared to the general student population. Having been in the fraternity at BG, I know we were always compared to the general population, sororities, and athletes.

Also, on a longterm basis, I think that giving back should also be figured in. Greeks win that hands down. A statistic I heard was that while Greeks make up less than 15 percent of the total student population, Greek alumni make up over 45 percent of the funds contributed to the University. I haven't heard what percentage of former student-athletes contribute to the school upon graduation.

[Falconfreak90]

Does that really matter? Hopefully our players are here to earn a degree, not just to play football. This is a stat the league should really hang its hat on. I don't care if you are DI, DIA, DII, or DIII. That SHOULD be the focus of every program in the country IMO.

I agree...although we all know that focus is not the most important to all programs. I am very proud of the MAC and BGSU for the grad rates.

[transfer2BGSU]

The former registrar in me is going to come out on this one. The graduation rate is a six year rate (150% of the time it should take to get a four-year degree). It was established by Congress and has been a part of the federal law since 1995 (at least that I am aware of). Colleges and universities are required to provide prospective students with three items if they ask for it:

Graduation rates http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/ir/factbook/student.htm click on the link
Retention rates http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/ir/factbook/student.htm click on the link
Crime statistics http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/safety/page23095.html

The graduation rate of the university (overall) will be different from that of the athletic department in that the federal government does not allow us to use those students that transfer out in our numbers (same as we cannot transfer the students that transfer in to the university).

The NCAA takes into account those that transfer to other institutions and graduate.

The athletic department wants to argue that we should not have those who leave early to go pro count into our numbers. Well, I have to disagree with them on that because that is not how it is done for the remaninder of the student body. You have to put a time limit in to be able to count someone, otherwise someone could go out and play ball for fifteen years and then come back to school, they graduate and then you're supposed to go back and change the graduation rate from what year? It may not be the best, but it is better than what they used to have.

[Globetrotter]

Does that really matter? Hopefully our players are here to earn a degree, not just to play football. This is a stat the league should really hang its hat on. I don't care if you are DI, DIA, DII, or DIII. That SHOULD be the focus of every program in the country IMO.

It should be the focus of every program to prepare their students and athletes for succesful lives after they are done playing football. A college diploma is a great sign of earning power. Lets measure the average income currently of OSU's football players in 95-99 and ours.