Six Fairfield University athletics teams were honored by the NCAA earlier this week, through the annual Public Recognition Awards. The awards are given to teams that rank among the top 10 percent of their sport in the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) results.

The announcement highlights teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. In the current report, Fairfield University's baseball, men's golf, men's soccer, women's basketball, women's lacrosse, and women's tennis teams all placed among the top 10 percent in their respective sports. 

"I take great pride in the effort that all of our student-athletes put forth each academic year and congratulate the six teams that earned national recognition for their academic achievement," Director of Athletics Paul Schlickmann said. "This academic success further illustrates the commitment that our student-athletes have toward pursuing their personal and collective best, as well as reaching their full potential in the classroom."

This year's announcement marks the sixth straight year in which six or more Fairfield University teams have been honored with the NCAA's team recognition award. 

Through its innovative APR, which provides an annual scorecard of academic achievement, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I sports team. By measuring eligibility and retention each semester or quarter, the APR provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. Most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from four academic years.

Fairfield is among the nation's 326 schools to be recognized by the NCAA with Public Recognition Awards for APRs in the top 10 percent. Largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores, the total number of teams earning Public Recognition Awards increased to 1,380, up 52 from last year. APRs for programs in the top 10 percent ranged from 987 to a perfect 1,000.