FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Razorback student-athletes earned a 3.17 grade point average in the fall 2013 semester, marking the eighth consecutive semester student-athletes competing for the University of Arkansas have exceeded a 3.0 GPA.

A total of 261 Razorback student-athletes, including student-athletes representing all 19 sport programs, earned a spot on the department academic honor roll by posting a term GPA of 3.0 or better. The total marked an increase of 20 student-athletes (241) from the fall 2012 semester. A total of 45 student-athletes earned Academic Champion honors by earning a perfect 4.0 term GPA. In addition, 34 Razorback student-athletes graduated from the University of Arkansas in the fall.

With the latest term GPA, the cumulative average of current Razorback student-athletes for all semesters of their collegiate careers is 3.165, which nearly matches the department’s goal set in 2008 of reaching a cumulative GPA of 3.2 for all Razorback student-athletes by 2015.

“I am extremely pleased that our student-athletes’ fall semester academic performance has placed our program in position to reach our academic goal a full year ahead of our projected timeline,” said Jeff Long, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “We still have some work to do, but we have made tremendous progress. That is a credit to our coaches, our Student-Athlete Success staff and most importantly to the more than 460 Razorback student-athletes who have committed themselves to achieving academically while competing in their respective sports. It is also a reflection of the loyal support of Razorback Foundation members who are helping us fulfill our mission of developing student-athletes to their fullest potential through intercollegiate athletics.”

Fourteen of 19 teams posted a team GPA of 3.0 or higher including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and volleyball. Men’s golf posted the highest men’s team GPA with a 3.49 GPA while women’s golf paced women’s sport programs with a 3.71 GPA.

In addition, 91 Razorback student-athletes earned an academic Personal Best in the fall of 2013. A Personal Best is achieved when student-athletes post a semester GPA higher than their previous cumulative GPA. The program encourages student-athletes at all academic levels to continue to focus on academic improvement each semester while advancing toward graduation.

“Personal Bests play an important part in our Student-Athlete Success program,” Long said. “While every student-athlete may not earn a 4.0 GPA, we want them to continue to set and reach academic goals that will help them as individuals as well as keep them on track to the ultimate goal of graduation.”

In all, 10 teams improved their GPA from fall 2012 to fall 2013, including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, gymnastics, women’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s track and field, women’s volleyball and women’s cross country.

For more information regarding Razorback Athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.