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Academic Based Revenue Distribution

Beginning in Spring 2020, a portion of Division I revenue is distributed to member schools based on the academic achievement of student-athletes. The model allows schools with higher graduation rates and academic success to qualify for more funds.

The Criteria

A school earns an academic unit by meeting any ONE of the three standards.

  • Graduation Success Rate for the most recently available year is equal to or greater than 90 percent based on the single-year rate of all student-athletes at the individual level.
  • Difference between student-athlete and student body percentages in the most recently published Federal Graduation Rate is equal to or greater than 13 percentage points.
  • Academic Progress Rate for previous year is equal to or greater than 985. The average of single-year scores for all teams is used to determine eligibility for this standard.

About the Initiative

The initiative was made possible through the NCAA’s multimedia rights contract with CBS/Turner.

The Goal

The goal of the academic unit is to provide an incentive for academic success and improve academic outcomes of student-athletes.

Timeline for Academic Unit Revenue Distribution

D1ACA_DetailedREvDistTimeline.png

The funds are “unrestricted” meaning institutions/conferences may use funds from their academic distribution in the manner they deem most appropriate. Conferences are free to distribute the funds in accordance with their existing distribution policies.