Ohio State football, basketball boast strong 2012-2013 APR scores

The NCAA released APR, or Academic Progress Rate scores for the 2012-2013 season today, and once again, Ohio State's highest profile teams boasted strong scores.

Ohio State's football team has repeatedly put up excellent APR scores. While the 972 rating was a slight decline by last year's 982, it is still well above any line for a potential sanctions. Ohio State football has boasted an APR above 970 for five seasons in a row. This season's was good enough for fifth best in the Big Ten.

Ohio State's basketball score increased from 972 to 977, continuing a trend since the 2007-2008 season, when the Buckeyes were docked two scholarships for a low score of 911. The team's rating has improved every season since then.

The APR stands for Academic Progress Rate, and is a metric the NCAA uses to hold students accountable for academic achievement. Teams are given points for keeping student athletes enrolled, and academically eligible, and are docked points if players leave the school while not being in good academic standing, or if they become academically ineligible. Teams that don't meet a certain benchmark can risk penalty. From the NCAA:

Beginning with 2012-13 championships, teams must earn a minimum 900 four-year APR or a 930 average over the most recent two years to be eligible to participate. For 2014-15 championships, teams must earn a 930 four-year average APR or a 940 average over the most recent two years to participate in championships. In 2015-16 and beyond, teams must earn a four-year APR of 930 to compete in championships.

This season, only UNLV and Idaho faced postseason bans in football for failing to meet APR benchmarks. New Mexico State and Oklahoma State both lost practice time as a result of low APR scores.