The athletic program has kept a 3.0 GPA for the 14th straight semester since 2013 according to the UCA athletic department and athletic director Brad Teague.
The seven-year GPA streak has been a great accomplishment for the athletic department. Brad Teague has been the athletic director since 2007 and during this time, the athletic programs changed immensely.
Not only has he made huge upgrades to athletics facilities and helped with the progress from Division 2 to Division 1 FCS, but he has also assisted in hiring the successful Nathan Brown as head football coach.
“Our student-athletes continue to amaze and impress,” Teague said to ucasports.com. “Their commitment to the total collegiate experience is further evident in their performance in the classroom. To maintain over a 3.0 GPA for that many years is remarkable.”
The summary of GPAs for athletic sheet shows that both men and women’s teams have maintained the 3.0 average GPA.
From the records, the women’s athletic teams had a higher GPA when compared to the men’s teams, with them having a 3.4 and a 3.03 GPA respectively. The women’s
cross-country and tennis teams topped the list of teams with GPAs of 3.68, while the men’s teams were led by men’s cross-country with a 3.41 cumulative GPA. 14 athletes at UCA currently are maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. 61% of the student athletes are currently maintaining a 3.0 GPA, according to associate athletic director Natalie Shock.
Shock said that all athletes are required to go to study hall and utilize tutors.
“The athletes have learned time management skills which allow them to handle the rigors of class, practice, competition, and travel,” Shock said.
Athletes are held to a higher standard due to their scholarships. The Athletic Academic Advising Center sends out progress reports to professors of athletes twice a semester and an early report is sent out at the start of each semester for the athletes. These progress reports help track how well or how poorly athletes are doing in each class they are taking. Athletes are required to be full time students taking at least 12 hours.
“Our coaches have recruited good students as well as athletes,” Shock said.
According to Shock, the Athletic Advising staff play a big part in helping athletes in study hall when they are at UCA, as well as when they are on the road.
In order to maintain the GPA streak, there has been a semester-by-semester GPA requirement for each athlete in their progress toward degree, which is determined by the number of semesters an athlete has been in school.
If an athlete does not meet their personal GPA and hour requirement at the end of each semester, they are not permitted to compete during the next semester.