NU Leads Big 12 in Exhausted Eligibility Graduation Rates & Other National Academic Honors

Lincoln -- For the fourth year in a row the University of Nebraska Athletic Department Exhausted Eligibility Graduation rate increased to the current rate of 90 percent which leads the Big 12 Conference. The Exhausted Eligibility Rate surveys the graduation of scholarship student-athletes who entered the University of Nebraska from 1987 through 1996 and exhausted their athletic eligibility at the University of Nebraska.

Nebraska's football averages are higher than the national average and are higher than the general student population at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as well. NU's four-class rate for football student-athletes entering in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996, is 57 percent, six percentage points higher than the national average and UNL average of 51 percent and third among Big 12 schools. Nebraska's one-class average, for football students entering school in 1996, is 59 percent, five percentage points higher than the national average and UNL average of 54 percent. For all student-athletes who entered school in 1996, Nebraska ranks second in the Big 12 with an outstanding 68 percent graduation rate, five percentage points higher than the national average.

The 2003 Nebraska football team has nine students playing who are graduates including Chad Buller, DeAntae Grixby, Patrick Kabongo, Jason Lohr, Jammal Lord, Phil Peetz, Jerrell Pippens, Pat Ricketts and Steve Safranek. These graduates all earned their diplomas in four years or less with Patrick Kabongo finishing in just three years.

An additional 11 Husker football players will complete their degrees in December 2003, including Ryon Bingham, Judd Davies, Josh Davis, Tim Green, Trevor Johnson, Kyle Larson, Tim Liley, Chris Loos, Fred Thorne, Curt Tomasevicz and Andy Wingender. Under Coach Frank Solich's leadership, 109 of his 122 seniors have graduated (89.3 percent).

"I'm extremely pleased that the dedicated efforts of our student-athletes place at the top of the Big 12 Conference in graduation rates," said Associate Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc. Added Leblanc, "Our graduation rates along with our nation leading totals in all of the major academic awards categories for student-athletes is something the University of Nebraska and the entire state can be very proud of."

In addition to this conference-leading exhausted eligibility graduation rate, Nebraska athletics continues to lead the nation in the number of Academic All-Americans with 203 in all sports combined. This total is 54 more than second-place Notre Dame. Nebraska is the only Big 12 Conference school to be ranked in the top 10 and is one of only six schools in all divisions to have more than 100 Academic All Americans. Nebraska continues to lead the nation in the number of NCAA Today's Top Eight Award winners with 14 recipients. Considered the "Heisman" of Academics, the Top Eight Award is the most prestigious academic honor bestowed upon a college student-athlete recognizing excellence in academics, athletics and community service. The University of Southern California ranks second in Top Eight honorees with 10 selections. Other major national academic awards categories in which Nebraska leads the nation include: NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients, National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship winners, and American Football Coaches Association "Good Works" Team honorees.

Big 12 Exhausted Eligibility Graduation Rate; All Student-Athletes:
National Average: 83%
All-Nebraska Students: NA

Nebraska ? 90%
Iowa State ? 89%
Missouri ? 88%
Texas ? 87%
Texas Tech ? 86%
Baylor ? 85%
Oklahoma ? 84%
Texas A&M ? 83%
Kansas ? 81%
Colorado ? 80%
Oklahoma State ? 73%
Kansas State ? 52%

Four-Class Average (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996); Football Only
National Average: 51 %
All-Nebraska Students: 51%

Baylor ? 75%
Texas Tech ? 58%
Nebraska ? 57%
Kansas State ? 57%
Texas A&M ? 49%
Iowa State ? 47%
Kansas ? 45%
Colorado ? 43%
Missouri ? 38%
Oklahoma State ? 38%
Texas ? 38%
Oklahoma ? 33%

One-Class Average (Entered in 1996); Football Only:
National Average: 54 percent
All-Nebraska Students: 54 percent

Baylor ? 75%
Kansas State ? 65%
Oklahoma ? 65%
Texas Tech ? 60%
Nebraska ? 59%
Iowa State ? 59%
Texas A&M ? 56%
Colorado ? 53%
Missouri ? 44%
Kansas ? 38%
Oklahoma State ? 35%
Texas ? 19%
Source: NCAA and University of Nebraska Information Research