• The overall percentage graduated held steady at 77%, and it must be said that this is far better than the overall graduation rate of non-athletic students.
• Of the top 25 football teams, Boston College is the best at graduating players with 93 percent; Nebraska is #2 at 83 percent (The N stands for Nowledge!)
• The Red River Shootout combatants rank right at the bottom (Oklahoma and Texas with 44% and 42% respectively)
• Notre Dame football ranks near the very top of all schools (hey, at least you can celebrate something – you are in Duke football territory now).
• For the first time in a while, UNC men's basketball is better than Duke (86% to 67%)
• Maryland, under the esteemed Gary Williams scored a 0%. They failed to graduate a single player during this timeframe. Remember, this includes their title run in 2002.
Now, step back a second. Does this matter one bit to you? Could you care less if your favorite school actually graduated its revenue sports student-athletes? Don’t they add a value to an institution far greater on the field or court than they do in the chemistry lab? In all reality, elite players at these top programs are in a lucrative (note: for everyone except the players) minor league that allows them to practice the skills they will hope to use at the next level. For these players, we should not be worried. But for those student-athletes with no shot of playing professionally, it is imperative on the academic institution to do everything possible to ensure the student is prepared for a life beyond athletics. This includes helping them at every step on the way to graduation.
