Report Shows Money Remains Big Factor In College Sports

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The latest Academic Progress Rate numbers from the NCAA show a record number of college athletes are staying in school and working toward degrees, and that money continues to play a key role in academic performance.

According to the report released Wednesday, the four-year overall score of 979 was up one point over last year's all-time high. There were three-point improvements in football, men's and women's basketball.

Each athlete earns one point per semester for being academically eligible and another point each semester if they stay in school. A perfect score is 1,000. Teams falling below 930 can face penalties.

This year, 31 teams were penalized with 23 receiving postseason bans, and 81 percent of the teams scoring below 930 were described as "limited-resource" schools.

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