Houston, TX – Texas Southern University announced Friday that the football team has been barred from postseason play for the 2012-2013 seasons due to falling short in fulfilling an NCAA graduation rate requirement.
The school disclosed that when the NCAA releases its annual Academic Progress Report (APR), it will show the football program failed to meet the required average score over the most recent four-year evaluation period for graduation rates.
Last month, representatives from Texas Southern met before an NCAA committee and learned the football program had received a four-year average score of 811 out of 1,000. The NCAA standard rate is 930. Because of this, the football team is ineligible for postseason play, and that includes the SWAC Championship Game and NCAA Division I FCS championship.
"Texas Southern University athletics is a much improved program today and despite this setback we are proud of the improvements that we have made to date in all 16 programs," TSU athletics director Charles McClelland said. "I am confident that we are heading in the right direction. Our student-athletes are graduating at a 45 percent rate and we have added six additional staff members to help our kids succeed."
Other penalties imposed on Texas Southern included the elimination of spring football practice and the spring game.
The Tigers finished last season with a 4-7 record overall, including 2-7 in the SWAC.
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