Mississippi State athletes reach new levels of classroom success

The academic average for football, baseball and men's basketball players on scholarship was the highest for any semester during the past five years, Athletic Department officials said. The fall term produced the best-yet overall academic average for male student-athletes in general.

The semester grade average for all male athletes was 2.57 on the university's four-point scale. Female student-athletes did even better, with an overall grade average of 2.7 for the fall semester, although that was not a record for the women.

Baseball players led the male athletes, with an average grade report of 2.83, and the basketball team was close behind, with an average grade of 2.79. Women tennis players were the aces among Mississippi State's student-athletes last semester, with a grade average of 3.18.

Thirty percent of the male scholarship athletes turned in a "B" average or better for the fall, as did 39 percent of the female athletes. Mississippi State has about 240 male and female athletes on scholarship.

Dr. Walt Newsom, professor of management and the university's Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA, said the increase in last fall's grade-point average among male athletes is significant.

"When you're dealing with dozens of athletes, a few outstanding academic performances aren't going to have much impact on the grade-point average of the whole group," Newsom said.

"The improvement we've seen over the past few semesters indicates a broad-based trend. It reflects a continuing commitment to improving academic success among athletes across the board."

Part of the improvement is the result of peer leadership, Newsom said. "Some of our athletes have determined that they're going to make academics a priority, and they've had a good influence on teammates. And the coaches and the academic support staff in the athletic department have really emphasized that athletes have to be students first, and that message is sinking in."

The graduation rate among athletes is virtually identical to that of other students at Mississippi State, which has the highest graduation rate among the state's universities.

Among all students who entered Mississippi State as freshmen in 1986-87, 52 percent had graduated within six years. Among freshman athletes entering at the same time, 53 percent had graduated within six years.

Mississippi State's football team has been honored in each of the past two years by the College Football Association in recognition of the team's graduation rate. Within the Southeastern Conference, only Vanderbilt's football team had a higher six-year graduation rate among students who began their college studies in 1986-87.

University officials note that some students who enter but do not graduate at Mississippi State transfer and earn degrees at other institutions.

"We are extremely proud of the effort our student-athletes made in the classroom last fall," said Director of Athletics Larry Templeton. "Their commitment to academics is evident by the results seen at the end of the semester."