Nine South Dakota programs earned perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the 2020-21 season while three of those nine recorded perfect multi-year APR scores, according to data released by the NCAA on Tuesday.

Each USD program exceeded the minimum APR academic standard of 930 in the 2020-21 data. The nine sports with perfect APR scores included men's basketball, men's golf, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, softball, women's tennis, women's track and field, and volleyball. Of the nine programs with 1,000 APR scores, women's basketball, women's cross country, and volleyball were the three with perfect multi-year APR scores. Volleyball recorded its fourth consecutive season of a perfect multi-year score dating back to the 2016-17 year and is the only volleyball program with a perfect multi-year rate in the Summit League.

Seven programs saw an increase in their multi-year APR scores from the previous data released from the 2018-19 season. Men's golf led the way with a 20-point increase followed by men's basketball (10), women's basketball (5), women's soccer (5), men's track and field (4), women's cross country (4), and football (3).

The public data release of APRs was not announced in the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each academic year, every Division I sports team across the country calculates its APR using a simple and consistent formula. Each term, scholarship student-athletes can earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. For schools that do not offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.

Typically, teams that scored below the 930 benchmark would have to face penalties that encourage an emphasis and prioritization on academics. However, due to the current penalty suspension in place, teams will not be subjected to penalties this year.

The Academic Performance Program has established an essential framework for academic excellence. The program provides measurable goals to ensure schools are fulfilling their commitment of equipping student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success.

USD's 2020-21 APR Scores
Men's Basketball: 1,000
Men's Cross Country: 975
Football: 972
Men's Golf: 1,000
Men's Swimming and Diving: 979
Men's Track and Field: 992
Women's Basketball: 1,000
Women's Cross Country: 1,000
Women's Golf: 1,000
Softball: 1,000
Women's Soccer: 992
Women's Swimming and Diving: 992
Women's Tennis: 1,000
Women's Track and Field: 1,000
Volleyball: 1,000