SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has announced the recipients of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award. The APR Award recognizes one institution at each of the 14 FCS conferences that has the highest APR score. In addition, the Association also recognizes one institution from each conference that has improved the most from the previous year. In all, 28 awards are given.

For the Southern Conference, Wofford College was honored as having the highest APR score among league institutions. Chattanooga received the most improved honor for the SoCon.

“The FCS AD’s Association is pleased to continue the program that was established a year ago to recognize institutions and their football programs for registering exemplary APR scores,” said President Greg Burke, athletics director at Northwestern State University. “These awards are an appropriate way to spotlight the true mission of all FCS programs, which is to graduate student-athletes who will be our leaders of tomorrow.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member colleges and universities adopted a comprehensive academic reform package designed to improve the academic success and graduation of all student-athletes. The centerpiece of the package is the academic measurement for teams, known as the APR.

The institutions received their awards during the FCS ADA Luncheon sponsored by Borden Perlman Insurance Agency, on Thursday, June 16 in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Conference        Highest APR in 2009-10     Most Improved for 2009-10
Big Sky              Northern Arizona                  California State Sacramento
Big South         Gardner-Webb                     Virginia Military Institute
Colonial             New Hampshire                  Delaware
Great West          California Davis                 Cal Poly State
Ivy League         Pennsylvania                      Cornell
Mid-Eastern         Norfolk State                     North Carolina A&T State
Missouri Valley      South Dakota State         Indiana State
Northeast             Monmouth                         Duquesne
Ohio Valley         Austin Peay State               Eastern Kentucky
Patriot League      Georgetown                     Fordham
Pioneer                 Davidson                         Jacksonville
Southern             Wofford                             Tennessee Chattanooga
Southland             Central Arkansas              Northwestern State
Southwestern      Alcorn State                     Alabama State