Ferris State Hockey Leads Michigan & WCHA With #8 National Ranking In NCAA Academic Listing
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Ferris State University men's ice hockey program ranks as the top academic squad in the state of Michigan and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) as the Bulldogs placed among the top 10 teams nationally for the third-straight year in the release of the NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) data announced this week.
Ferris State, under longtime head coach Bob Daniels, continues to produce at a high-level both on and off the ice, ranking as the leader in its conference and among the top teams in the country.
FSU, which has won two conference regular-season titles and twice reached the NCAA Tournament in the last four years, placed tied for eighth nationally in the NCAA's 2015 release of the Academic Progress Multi-Year Rates.
For the third-straight year, Ferris State placed among the top ten teams in the country and led its respective conference for the third year in a row for the most recent four-year data figures announced by the NCAA.
FSU posted a near-perfect 997 overall score for the third consecutive campaign based on 2013-14 cumulative data and placed tied for eighth overall in the nation. Ferris State previously also placed eighth overall two years ago and was tied for ninth last year.
The scores, which are based on eligibility and retention of scholarship players, include multi-year data from the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years. The APR, created in 2003 to measure Division I schools and teams on their student-athletes' success in the classroom, awards points to teams based on students' grades, their progress toward their degree and for staying in school. Teams are also rewarded in the APR for students who return to school to complete their degree. The APR is related, but not identical to the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR).
Along with leading the WCHA, the Bulldogs also registered the highest figure of all D1 hockey schools in the state of Michigan.
"The APR is an indicator of student-athletes staying for four years and leaving with a degree," said Bob Daniels, a two-time National Coach of the Year Award recipient who will embark on his 24th season behind the Bulldogs' bench as the program's all-time winningest coach in 2015-16. "A lot of credit goes to Associate Head Coach Drew Famulak and our staff for recruiting kids who value the opportunity to play hockey and receive a quality education while leaving with a degree.
"It's also a reflection on the emphasis of our athletics department in achieving excellence both in competition and in the classroom," he added.
NCAA President Mark Emmert congratulated Division I students on their academic success.
"More college athletes than ever are succeeding in the classroom, and I applaud their commitment to academic achievement. We are pleased and proud of their accomplishments," Emmert said. "Our goal always has been to encourage students to achieve academically and earn their degrees. Every year, Division I students prove that both academic and athletic success are achievable."
The average score for men's ice hockey teams was 985, which was tops among all NCAA sports. Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility, graduation and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face consequences, such as practice restrictions and restrictions on postseason competition. Rates are based on the past four years' performance.
Ferris State's 997 score for 2013-14 matched its highest-ever figure in the Division I APR listing each of the last three years. It marked the seventh consecutive year in which the Bulldogs either saw an improvement or posted an equally-high figure in their overall score. FSU has achieved a 967 score or higher in each of the past 10 years to date.
Overall, five schools totaled a perfect 1000 score this year, including Dartmouth, Merrimack, Princeton, RPI and Robert Morris. Both Brown and Air Force notched a 998 with FSU among a group of eight schools at 997 overall.
On the ice, Ferris State will return all but five seniors from this past season for the 2015-16 campaign, including eight of the squad's top nine scorers. Over the past four seasons, the Bulldogs have captured two conference championships, made two NCAA Tournament appearances and appeared in the NCAA Frozen Four national title game. FSU also advanced to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Final Five Championships for the second-straight year this past season.