Eddie George was not pleased after the Tennessee State University football program failed to obtain an Academic Progress Rating of 930 from the 2019-2020 through 2023-2024 academic school year. This has resulted in a level one violation penalty, per a report by The Tennessean.
The Academic Progress Rating is a metric used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to measure student athletes' performance in the classroom. If a team's rating is lower than the standard of 930, hours of practice are cut and replaced with study halls and other programs.
In comments obtained by the Tennesseean, George criticized the APR measurement system. With several players on the Dean's list and others entering the transfer portal, Eddie believes the system does not reflect the academic achievements of the program accurately.
“To be quite honest, the APR is a measure that's antiquated and it really doesn't apply to where we are in college football today. When you look at the APR, a big part of it is retention. A lot of guys come in and leave, and that's really not in my control. We have to land those kids at a different institution in order to get their points back.”
For Eddie and his Tigers squad what was once a 20-hour practice week will now be 16. The 4 hours will be allocated to academic studies in the fall.
Fans in the Land of Golden Sunshine hope that academic improvement efforts won't impact the upcoming season. After two seasons of finishing below .500, Tennessee State made a breakthrough in 2023, ending the season with a 6-5 record. The Tigers achieved their first winning season since 2017 and were on the verge of securing a spot in the FCS playoffs before the season ended.
Eddie George and the Tigers look to start off the season on a positive note when they face off against Mississippi Valley State University in the John Merritt Classic on August 31st at 6 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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