University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Athletic Department Among Nation's Best
September 7, 1999 | General
Sept. 7, 1999
CHAPEL HILL N.C. - North Carolina's Department of Athletics has been ranked number two nationally in a major survey by The Sporting News, in which the 112 U.S. colleges which participate in NCAA Division I sports in both football and basketball, are graded according to various standards ranging from on-field success to academic performance.
The Tar Heels finished second only to Penn State, receiving two A's, an A- and a B+ for a 3.75 "GPA". Penn State had three A's and an A- for a 3.92 point total.
The rankings will be a cover story in the September 13 issue of The Sporting News, reaching newsstands on Sept. 8. In addition to Penn State and Carolina, the top 10 included, in order: Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida, Duke, Purdue, Virginia, Nebraska and Michigan State.
Although the chosen schools are selected by playing Division I football and men's basketball, the sports of most interest to The Sporting News readers, their full athletic programs are all studied. In addition to graduation rates for student-athlete, areas such as the number of teams each school sponsors, the success rates of those teams and Title IX compliance are all factored into the category "Do We Play Fair?" Incidents of NCAA probation, plus additions or dropping of sports, are also included in this area.
The ratings cover the last four years of graduating classes and include GPAs and SAT scores for this year's freshman class. The poll awards 4.0 for an "A", 3.0 for a "B" and so forth so that each school's "final grade" is similar to the grading system generally used by the colleges themselves.
The schools are also rated in a category called "Do We Rock?," which measures fan support, attendance, merchandise sold, size of athletic budget, number of teams and points awarded in the annual Sears Directors' Cup Competition.
"Do We Graduate?" uses graduation rates as the best available measure of academic achievement for the classes which entered school in the 1989-92 period, allowing six years to earn a degree.
"Do We Win?" awards points for victories, regular-season conference championships, conference tournament titles, rank in The Sporting News polls and performance in NCAA post-season competition.
Carolina's "B+" in the survey came in the area of "Do We Play Fair?" Despite having the largest female athletic department in the South with 15 varsity sports, The Sporting News marked the Tar Heels down in regard to gender equity. Carolina has added two women's sports since 1996, lacrosse and rowing, but was hurt by proportionality as over 60 percent of the student body is female.
Schools ranking 11 through 20 in the survey were Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Syracuse, UCLA, Northwestern, Illinois, Ohio State and Washington.
The Sporting News is hoping the first-time poll will be a source of interest for college sports fans as it measures the full programs at these schools, not just on-the-field performance. The magazine feels that over the course of time the survey could become another reference table for high school guidance counselors, coaching staffs and college-bound prospects.
