For the second straight year, five Kent State University athletic programs are being recognized by the NCAA with Public Recognition Awards for outstanding academic performance.
A total of 10 athletic programs spanning 20 teams (nine sports) from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) have been recognized by the NCAA for their academic performance. Kent State’s five recognized teams are the most among the MAC schools. No other school in the conference had more than three teams recognized.
“Having five sports recognized this year is a testament to the commitment that the entire Kent State athletic department, coaches and academic support staff have to helping our students earn their degrees,” says Kristin Reed, Kent State’s assistant athletic director of compliance/eligibility. “We have hard-working students who are dedicated to being successful in the classroom, as well as in competition.” 
The five Kent State teams recognized are baseball, gymnastics, volleyball, women’s cross country and women’s golf. Kent State’s women’s cross country team is one of 110 teams nationally to be recognized in each of the 11 years of the Public Recognition program. Kent State’s baseball team was the only baseball program recognized in the MAC.
Public Recognition Awards, which are based on a program’s most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR), were awarded to teams posting scores in the top 10 percent of their sport. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally. The scores required to be in the top 10 ranged from 983 to a perfect 1,000, depending on the sport.
The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport.
MAC Public Recognition Award Winners
Akron (1)
- Women’s Cross Country
Bowling Green (3)
- Gymnastics
- Men’s Cross Country
- Women’s Golf
Buffalo (1)
- Men’s Tennis
Central Michigan (2)
- Volleyball
- Women’s Golf
Eastern Michigan (2)
- Volleyball
- Women's Golf
Kent State (5)
- Baseball
- Gymnastics
- Volleyball
- Women’s Cross Country
- Women’s Golf
Miami (1)
- Men’s Golf
Northern Illinois (3)
- Gymnastics
- Men’s Tennis
- Women’s Tennis
Ohio (1)
- Women’s Cross Country
Western Michigan (1)
- Men’s Tennis