BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced the 2017-18 All-Academic Team, recognizing over 1,400 student-athletes from the conference's 10 member institutions for their exceptional effort in the classroom.

For the second straight year, the total amount of honorees within the league rose by at least 10 percent, further exhibiting the SWAC's commitment to academic achievement. Additionally, eight of the 10 member institutions raised their total number of all-academic honorees: Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Grambling State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern University and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

In order to qualify for the team, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Jackson State had the most all-academic selections with 162. Alabama State's women's tennis team posted the highest team GPA among women's teams within the league, accumulating a combined 3.722 GPA to edge Alcorn State's women's tennis team (3.72).

Of the student-athletes represented on the All-Academic team, men's basketball landed seven and women's basketball six on the list. Other teams represented included baseball (19), softball (17), football (28), soccer (19), bowling (7), men's golf (7), women's golf (4), men's tennis (6), women's tennis (7), men's track/cross country (10), women's track/cross country (17) and volleyball (7).

Along with the individual success for the Hornets, 12 teams recorded a 3.0 or higher grade point average, while the other five sports recorded at least a 2.7 or higher as a team.

In addition to the league having nearly 200 more students to garner All-Academic honors than last year, every member institution had at least 100 student-athletes garner a 3.0 or better during the 2017-18 academic year.  

Put into effect in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.

Currently, teams must maintain a four-year average APR of 930 or a two-year average APR of 940 average to participate in NCAA championships. In 2015-16 and beyond, teams must keep a four-year average APR of 930 to compete in championships.

While the APR is intended as an incentive-based approach, it does come with a progression of penalties for teams that under-perform academically over time. The All-Academic Team is representative of the SWAC's progress, with the increases in training and focus shift towards the academic success of its student-athletes.

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