Grade Point Averages Of Male And Female Student Athletes At Public And Private Division Iii Institutions During Traditional And Nontraditional Seasons

Abstract: The study was designed to compare the grade point averages (GPA) of male and female student-athletes (SAs), during traditional and non-traditional seasons, at Division I, II, and III institutions. Participants consisted of 1205 SAs enrolled at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III institutions in New England. The number of credits taken and GPAs of the participants were obtained and grouped according to gender (male or female), season type (traditional or non-traditional), and NCAA Division affiliation (I, II, or III). A 2 X 3 X 2 factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine if credits would influence GPA scores. A significant difference (p

This paper analyzed men's and women's athletic team's grade point averages while in-season versus out-of-season. The study used data from the athletic teams at Worcester State College, an NCAA Division III institution. The research question was: Is there a difference in overall GPA for men's and women's athletic teams while in season versus out of season? The researcher used a t-test to determine whether there was a signficant difference over the academic years 1996-2005, 2006-2007, and 2008-2009. Fourteen of the sixteen athletic teams included in the study found no significant difference between in-season and out-of-season GPA. The two sports in which a significant difference was found were men's football and men's baseball. This thesis paper concludes with recommendations for future research which include comparing athletic departments of institutions that participate in the same NCAA division.

"It has been suggested that the demand of university athletics can hinder academic success. Furthermore major selection may be dependent on ease of eligibility and lead to academic clustering. The purpose of this study was to determine how student athlete's sport and major affect their grade point average (GPA) at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). There has yet to be a study relating individual sports team's major selection and GPA. This study used unidentifiable academic data from Fall 2005 to Fall 2012 of UCO student athletes. This study included 743 student athletes from seven major sports and all eight academic colleges. A sample size of 743 student athletes from the academic Fall 2005 to Spring 2012 was used for the study. For all of the differences, one way ANOVAs were conducted with a p value of 0.05. Since there was no homogeneity found between any of the groups, all post hoc tests were conducted with Games Howell. The results demonstrated in GPA to sport there was a significant difference in males and females (p = 0.01). The male sports (football, baseball and wrestling) had a significantly different GPA compared to the female sports (rowing, basketball, softball and track). Female sports had a higher GPA averaging 2.94 (SD = 0.07), compared to males with a mean GPA of 2.27 (SD = 0.8). There was a significant difference between the College of Education (CEPS) to Math and Science (CMS), F(7, 742) = 9.47, p = 0.024, and Undeclared, F(7, 742) = 9.47, p = 0.01. Of the ten most frequent majors General Studies, F(4, 151) = 10.035, p = 0.01, Industrial Safety, F(2, 52) = 6.451, p = 0.01, and Undeclared, F(5, 43) = 2.864, p = 0.01, major had a significant difference between the sports. Academic clustering occurred with 48% of student athletes choosing majors in CEPS. Overall there was a significant difference in GPA by team and major. Female team reported higher GPAs than males in many of the majors. The differences in GPA were best demonstrated in the Undeclared major. Females reported a higher GPA and less roster years in this major. Females may be declaring a major earlier than male student athletes, which dictates more academic success. This researcher implies that if student athletes declare a major earlier, they may adapt to the strains of academic life earlier. This acclamation will allow for higher GPA and more roster years, which are both the implications of the APR. Further research on academic clustering of the sports during this time period is needed. More research about change in college enrollment of student athletes and demographics is warranted to better describe academic clustering at UCO. Other demographic factors such as race and academic preparation may also aid in demonstrating the difference in GPA by major and sport."--Abstract of thesis.

Little to no research has been conducted examining the factors contributing to athletic department competitive success in NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics. Several studies have linked student-athlete institutional choice factors to academic factors, while Division III student-athletes have indicated that both athletic and academic programs are important in their college choice (Goss, Jubenville, & Oregan, 2006; Konnert & Giese, 1987; National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2008; National Collegiate Athletic Association Research, 2011; National Collegiate Athletic Association Research, 2016). The NCAA Division III philosophy states that student-athletes should be integrated into the whole of the institution, not treated differently than non-student-athletes, and that admissions standards should be the same for student-athletes as they are for non-student-athletes (Stubbeman & Cooper, 2015). This research examined the relationship between institutional academic profile and athletic department competitive success. Academic profile was measured through institutional selectivity (acceptance rates), caliber of incoming students (ACT/SAT scores), four-year graduation rates, and retention rates (first to second year of enrollment). Athletic department competitive success was measured by the institution's placement in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup (LSDC). Spearman rank correlation was used to examine each independent variable against the institution's points earned in the LSDC. Positive relationships were found between each independent variable and points earned in the LSDC - ranging from -.306 to .563. These positive relationships present various implications and considerations for institutional administration and coaches to consider in recruiting student-athletes and setting expectations for competitive success.