NASHVILLE – Two Lipscomb athletics programs earned Public Recognition by the NCAA on Wednesday after scoring in the top 10 percent of the most recent Division I Academic Progress Rates (APR).

Lipscomb’s men’s and women’s golf programs were among more than 1,300 teams nationally to earn the awards based on their most recent multi-year APRs, which include the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years. The list includes 857 women’s teams and 471 men’s or mixed teams.

Both golf programs have now earned Public Recognition four straight years, while Lipscomb has seen its department recognized 25 times since becoming a full Division I member in 2004.

“Our student-athletes at Lipscomb continue to excel among the nation’s best not only on the field, but also in the classroom academically,” Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson said. “To be recognized in the top 10 percent in the nation, it really speaks to the people we have in our department. It takes a lot of hard work from our athletes, our coaches and our staff members.”

It is the sixth honor for the women’s golf program, the second most in the department. Women’s basketball leads the way with seven.

For men’s golf, it is the fourth time the Bisons have been honored.

Largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores, teams earning Public Recognition Awards increased by 44 from the previous academic year. APRs for programs in the top 10% ranged from 987 to a perfect 1,000, and the number of teams posting perfect scores increased to 1,214, marking an increase of 26 teams from last year.

For the past 13 years, NCAA APR has been used to measure academic achievement for all Division I sports teams. APR tracks academic progress each semester for each student-athlete on scholarship, accounting for eligibility, retention, and graduation, and providing a measure of each team's academic performance.

All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.