Elon responds to Brand’s
declaration Jeff Rickel
/ Reporter
Elon’s students athletes are on pace with the NCAA
goal to improve student athletes’ Graduation Success
Rates (GSR).
At last Wednesday’s symposium, held on Elon’s
campus, NCAA president Dr. Myles Brand announced his goal of
an 80 percent average GSR for student athletes, a four
percent increase from the current student athlete GSR.
Elon student athletes currently have a GSR of 75 percent,
and Elon’s Athletic Director, Dave Blank, thinks that
Elon’s student athletes will continue to succeed in the
classroom.
“We don’t have any teams that are below the
required GSR,” Blank said. “And we are
encouraging student athletes to achieve a 3.0 grade point or
higher at all times.”
Blank attributes the classroom success of Elon student
athletes to Elon’s recruiting strategy.
“We want to recruit people who are not just
athletically able to compete, but can compete in the
classroom as well,” Blank explained. “Our primary
goal is to see our student athletes, and regular students,
graduate.”
As far as academic eligibility goes, Elon follows the NCAA
guidelines. These guidelines vary by grade, but all student
athletes must pass 24 credit hours in one school year and 18
of those hours must be fulfilled during the fall or spring
semesters.
According to the NCAA, sophomore student athletes must
maintain a 1.8 GPA, juniors a 1.9 GPA with 40 percent of
their degree completed at the beginning of the school year
and seniors must have a 2.0 GPA with 60 percent of their
degree completed. Student athletes who are completing their
fifth year of eligibility must maintain a 2.0 GPA and have 80
percent of their degree completed.
Elon may follow these guidelines, but according to
Elon’s Director of Compliance Catherine Walker, the
school tries to get our student athletes well above the NCAA
guidelines.
Contact Jeff Rickel at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247. | 
