The University of Louisville has yet another reason to celebrate as they were announced as one of the 13 schools to receive the AFCA Academic Achievement Award. This prestigious honor is presented by the Memphis Touchdown Club and recognizes the schools with the highest graduation rates for their 2016 freshman football student-athlete classes.
This is the fourth time in the program’s history that Louisville has received this award, with their previous win coming during the 2019 season. The university will be presented with the award during the Honors Luncheon on January 8, 2024, at the AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
It is worth noting that this year’s award selection was based on the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) one-year formula, making it the 12th time this criteria has been used in choosing the winner. From 1981 to 2007, a different formula was used by the College Football Association and the AFCA, and from 2008 to 2017, the criteria was based on the highest NCAA GSR and a Federal Graduation Rate of 75 percent or better. In 2018 and 2019, the AFCA utilized the NCAA’s single-year APR, but they have now returned to the GSR one-year formula.
The GSR is a comprehensive evaluation that considers a six-year graduation window for student-athletes. One of its key advantages is that it holds institutions accountable for transfer students, which is not accounted for in the federal graduation rate. It also takes into account midyear enrollees and non-scholarship students at schools without athletics aid. Additionally, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing, as those students are factored into the GSR calculation of the receiving institution.
This recognition highlights the commitment that the University of Louisville has towards the academic success of its student-athletes. It is an achievement that demonstrates the importance placed on education and the university’s dedication to fostering an environment where student-athletes can thrive both on and off the field. By prioritizing academic achievement, the University of Louisville is setting a great example for other institutions and showing that excellence can be achieved in both athletics and academics.
