| Greg Christopher's Responses |
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:: September 4, 2008 :: :: 2007-08 Archive :: |
June 6, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - Bowling Green State University Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Greg Christopher answers a few of the many questions that have been submitted to BGSUFalcons.com. Here is the latest installment ...
Q: When will the home game times for the 2008 football schedule be released?
Kevin in Bowling Green
A: The home opener with Minnesota will kick off under The Doyt's lights at 7:30 p.m. Start times for our other on-campus games will be released once the MAC's TV partners have finalized their grid. We expect that to be settled before July 1st.
Q: With the new hockey arena opening in Toledo next year, is there any chance of BGSU hosting an annual holiday tournament up there?
Terry in Midland, Mich.
A: We have had conversations with the arena's management on two fronts. First, BGSU Athletics and the arena have submitted a bid to host an NCAA Ice Hockey Regional in the future. It will be several months before we know if the bid was successful, but bringing a regional to our area would be a plus on several fronts...especially if the Falcons were in the field! Second, we have discussed options related to BGSU playing a home game or tournament at the new facility. Not sure if anything will develop, but having a first-rate hockey facility in our backyard is worth exploring the options.
Q: MAC football teams took a beating with the recent APR numbers. BGSU just missed getting whacked with a 925 and our soccer team lost part of a scholarship. What are you doing to make sure the Falcons don't end up on the APR hit list?
Brad in Toledo
A: I could write a paper on APR issues, so let me try and condense this into a summary that makes sense...
- APR (Academic Performance Rate) is a four-year average score that is based on two factors - retention of student-athletes and their academic performance. Without going through the details, a team score of less than 925 results in penalties. Losing scholarships is the most common penalty assessed by the NCAA, although they can add layers such as reduced practice time.
- The APR measure is part of our landscape and here to stay, so we need to work within the framework provided. Its implementation is well-intended but, I believe, doesn't tell a complete story. As an example, MAC football teams were hit harder with APR penalties than any other I-A conference...yet our GSR (Graduation Success Rate) is among the best in college football. There's a disconnect in what is being measured. I feel the APR is less of an academic measure and more of an attrition measurement. Are student-athletes staying within your program and at your institution?
- The point above illustrates the story with our men's soccer program. Four years ago, we went through a coaching change. Although we expect some transition issues whenever we change coaches, we did not expect to lose the number of student-athletes that we did. The majority of losses within men's soccer stemmed from retention issues, not academic problems. As part of the penalties, we have submitted an academic improvement plan to the NCAA. This plan included things such as increased accountability for academic oversight, along with responsible recruiting to ensure that we are accepting student-athletes with great character into our program. In soccer, we have made great strides in improving our APR. In fact, during the 2007-08 academic year men's soccer had a perfect APR score.
- Regarding football, our team is close to the NCAA cut line of 925. Similar to soccer, many of the lost points come from student-athletes leaving the team. While our coaching and academic staffs strive to ensure the success of our players, there might be a time down the road that BGSU football falls below the 925 mark. Given the efforts of everyone involved, the long-range planning and commitment to recruiting student-athletes that can succeed, I'm confident an APR drop would be a one-time occurrence.
- Also worth noting about the APR is the disproportionate number of non-BCS schools that receive penalties. Of the 37 Div. I football programs that were recently hit with penalties, only two were from BCS conferences. The others were a mix of non-BCS and I-AA schools. The BCS schools have greater resources to devote to all aspects of athletics, including academic support. More tutors, larger summer school budgets and even individuals dedicated to making sure players show up to class. In the MAC, where five football teams were hit with penalties, resources are different. We need to be aware of the target, though, and recruit accordingly for long-term success.
Q: I really enjoyed watching our Falcons play in the Peggy Cronin Classic last season. Could we see them there again and also would it be possible to add the likes of Dayton, Ohio State, Xavier and other local schools to our schedule next season?
Chuck in Cincinnati
A: Playing more regional schools in the non-conference is a priority on several fronts. It gives our fans familiar teams to watch and helps the travel budget. Of course, both schools needs to want to play each other and that's been our challenge. Teams like Ohio State, Dayton and Xavier aren't willing to leave their buildings to play home-and-homes with BGSU. We'll look at occasional away trips or guarantee games, but also need home games. While our schedule isn't finalized yet, I'm confident we'll have a good mixture of regional home-and-homes in the future with the likes of Wright State, Detroit and Oakland.
