Football schools do well in classroom - But disparity exists among white and black athletes and academic success

A study released Monday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at UCF concludes that the majority of colleges and universities with the best football programs are making high marks in the classroom and on the field.

The study also concludes, though, that there's a wide gap between the academic success of black and white football players.

Fifty-five of the 64 Division I-A teams bound for bowl games over the next several weeks graduated more than 50 percent of their players, and 40 received a score of 925 or better on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

There were 27 schools, though, that graduated less than half their black football players - compared to just three schools that graduated less than half their white football players.

The graduation rate findings were based on a review of four classes of freshmen that entered college between the 1996-97 and 1999-2000 academic years.

A student-athlete has six years to graduate to be counted toward his school's graduation totals.

The APR numbers were based on the NCAA's APR report, which was released in February. The NCAA implemented the APR in 2004 to help measure academic success of individual teams. It holds those teams accountable, and scores below 925 are met with scholarship reductions.

Richard Lapchick, the Institute director, authored the study, Keeping Score When it Counts: Assessing the 2006-07 Bowl-bound College Football Teams. He was pleased with the results overall but was disappointed by the discrepancy between black and white athletes.

"While the graduation rates for African-American student-athletes has improved, the disparity has existed for years," Lapchick said.

Lapchick called the graduation rate findings - that 86 percent of bowl-bound teams graduated more than half their players - a "great development."

The study wasn't limited to bowl-bound teams.

Overall, at the 119 Division I-A institutions that have football programs, 62 percent of white players graduated compared to 49 percent of black players. Lapchick said white and black football players graduate at a better rate than their non-athletic counterparts in the general student body.

The bowl teams found to be champions of academia were Boston College and Navy, which both graduated at least 96 percent of their football players and at least 91 percent of their black football players.

Coincidentally, those teams play in the Meineke Bowl on Dec. 30.