NCAA approves APR changes

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors unanimously approved on Thursday to increase the four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) to 930. 

The board voted to prohibit Division I teams with a four-year APR below 930 from participating in the postseason, which includes all NCAA tournaments and football bowl games.

It was a reverse in course from the previous model. Under that standard, schools that fell under 925 would've been hit with scholarship reductions. Under the old format, only schools which fall under 900 would be banned from post season play. 

If the new format were in effect last year, 12 teams would've been ineligible for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, including Ohio State and Syracuse, according to an Associated Press report.

The Connecticut men's basketball team was the most recent program to be docked two scholarships, while the Jackson State University football team was banned from post season play this fall for failing to meet APR criteria. 

“We have made some very significant recommendations that we want to turn into action. We will begin working on this immediately,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said. “We will come before this group no later than October with a clear action agenda to implement the ideas that were developed over the past two days. Some of that action began today.”

A 930 represents a graduation rate of 50 percent under the new format.